Big Hero 6: A New Life Begins
by hime7757k
Summary: Throughout their childhood, Tadashi and Hiro Hamada had been told their parents died in an accident. But if they died in an accident, why did Aunt Cass tell them to watch out as her dying words? And why is there a mysterious man bent on killing the Hamada brothers? Tadashi and his friends must rush to find out why with his most important thing at risk:his baby brother. NO SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1: The Sky is Crying

**I watched Big Hero 6, and it was an AMAZING MOVIE!**

**Soooo my creative juices went to work :)**

**No Spoilers! Only the characters are the same, everything else is my original story!**

**Obviously, Tadashi is still alive. In this story, Tadashi is 10 years older than Hiro~**

**Enjoy! Feel free to leave suggestions or comments to help me improve the story~**

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><p>Chapter 1: The Sky is Crying<p>

Rain.

The one thing Tadashi hated the most.

Better than his little brother though. As soon as Hiro heard the sound of rain, he would curl up and start crying. He didn't hate the sound. He was _terrified_ of it.

It all happened that fateful night. The night their parents died.

What was even more terrifying was that the two brothers had been in the car with them. Tadashi could still remember it like it was yesterday.

"_Tadashi! Put your seatbelt on!" 14-year-old Tadashi Hamada looked up from his comic book. His mother was looking back at him from the front seat, frowning in annoyance. His 4-year-old baby brother was sleeping, strapped safely into his car seat._

"_But mom…" the teenager whined, "it keeps rubbing my neck every time dad turns."_

"_It doesn't matter," Atsuki Hamada replied stubbornly. "It will keep you safe when you're in a car… now put it on!"_

_Grumbling, Tadashi reached over his shoulder and dragged the seatbelt out across his chest, but didn't click it into the buckle. His mother only saw that the fabric was across her son's chest and stopped nagging._

_Sighing, Tadashi looked out the window. It was a dark and stormy night. He and his family were driving on a dangerous road that overlooked a precarious fall. The rain only made it even more terrifying. "Where are we going dad?"_

"_Going to see your Aunt Cass," Atsuki replied instead. Hiruto Hamada was a man of few words, especially when he was driving._

"_But usually we go on the freeway… why are we going up the mountain?"_

"_We're going to meet a friend… now stop asking questions." Tadashi could tell his mother was losing her patience. She always hated long road trips, and the rain was only making her edgier._

_Grumbling, Tadashi picked up his baseball cap. His father had gotten it for him at a San Fransokyo Ninjas baseball game when he was 9. The year before Hiro was born. Tadashi treasured the hat; it was one of the few times he and his father actually had a bonding experience. Hiruto Tamada was a prominent businessman, so he was rarely home. Atsuki also worked in the same business, so they usually left together for business trips. Whenever they left, Tadashi and Hiro would stay with their Aunt Cass. Their parent's left so often that Aunt Cass had made the room they used to temporarily stay in their actual rooms. Tadashi shared a room with his baby brother because the toddler used to wake up crying and missing his mommy._

_The brothers didn't hate Aunt Cass. She was a very fun person, and she was a great cook. They just wished they could spend more time with their parents._

_A soft groan sounded next to Tadashi. "… Dashi?" Hiro rubbed his eyes and groggily looked at his older brother. Hearing the toddler's small voice made Tadashi smile. No matter how much he wished to be with his parents, Tadashi would always be there for his younger brother first._

"_Hey little bro… how was your nap?"_

"_Still sleepy…" the small child grumbled. His messy hair stuck out all over the place. Hiro yawned and showed his gapped front teeth. Tadashi thought that was adorable on his baby brother, but Atsuki wanted to get it adjusted so he could have perfect and evenly spaced teeth, like his brother._

_Hiro looked out the window with half closed eyes. "The sky is crying…"_

_Tadashi chuckled. His brother had the funniest ways of describing things sometimes. "Nah, buddy… it's just raining…" Hiro continued looking out the window, brown eyes growing wider as he stared at the wet world outside._

_Suddenly, the car jerked to the right. "F-...!" Hiruto exclaimed as he struggled to get the car straight again. The wet road made it impossible for the wheels to get a solid grip and the car started spinning out of control._

"_DAD!" Tadashi instinctively grabbed onto Hiro's little hands. The child was screaming in terror and held onto Tadashi's hand in a death grip._

_Sweat dotted their father's forehead. He yanked at the wheel, but it would not respond to his command. "Dear, watch out!" Their mother screamed as a sharp turn appeared before them._

_CRASH_

_Silence_

_Groaning, Tadashi peeled his forehead off of the driver's headrest. He immediately regretted not putting on his seat belt. His parents were in the front, frozen in fear. Confused, Tadashi looked out the window and almost died of shock. The back half of the car had crashed through the railing and was hanging dangerously off the edge of the road. One wrong move and the car would go plummeting down the drop. Even if by some miracle they survived the fall, the car would most likely explode on impact, killing them all. Horrified, Tadashi quickly looked for his baby brother. Slightly relieved, he realized the toddler was still holding onto his hand. Hiro was still strapped into the car seat; he had been knocked unconscious, either because of being knocked around so much or because of the shocked. Tadashi let out a small breath of relief. His brother was alive. For now._

_His father had hit his head on the steering wheel, and a long gash ran across his forehead. It bled profusely, blood slowly dripping down his face. His mother had hit her head against the windshield, a big bruise slowly blossoming across her delicate skin. Both parents stared at each other in horror._

"_How did he find us? We made sure we would never be found!" his mother whispered, as though speaking would cause the car to fall._

_Hiruto shook his head slowly. He was at a loss for how they were in such a dangerous situation._

_The rain continued to fall._

"_Tadashi, quickly! Unbuckle your brother!" Obeying his mother's command, Tadashi reached across his baby brother's unconscious body and unbuckled him from the car seat. His father dug through the compartment and pulled out a hammer. Tadashi was too scared to ask why there was a hammer hidden away in their glove compartment. He unbuckled Hiro and very carefully pulled his baby brother onto his lap. The skinny toddler didn't weigh much so moving him didn't affect their balance by much. After making sure her son's were safely together, Atsuki nodded to their father. Taking a deep breath, he smashed the hammer against the windshield. The tempered glass refused to budge. However, Hiruto refused to give in. He continued smashing; with each hammer crash, the car slowly moved further back. Tadashi looked back, terrified. Big mistake. The drop loomed at him, making him feel dizzy. Holding one hand against his mouth, he tried his best not to puke._

"_Hang on kids… we're almost there" Atsuki gritted her teeth, using anything she could find to hit the glass. Finally, after what felt like an eon the glass shattered. Carefully picking at the glass, the Hamada parents managed to make a hole big enough for a teenager to crawl through. The car had slowly tipped up to the point that the front bumper was facing the sky. It was a mystery how the car was still hanging on. A few stray piece of glass fell back. Tadashi covered Hiro's face, making sure the toddler did not get any injury. One piece fell and grazed Tadashi across his left cheek. He winced as he felt fresh blood slowly seep from the wound. Luckily, Hiro had not been injured by any of the fallen pieces._

_The rain fell and soaked Tadashi's face and hair._

"_Ok… Tadashi, you and Hiro quickly get out of here!" Atsuki grabbed her oldest son's arm and pointed at the hole. Making sure to grab his beloved baseball cap, Tadashi maneuvered himself and his younger brother to the front of the car. The extra weight caused the car to groan, but it slowly tipped forward enough for the teenager to see the road. His parent's held onto Hiro as Tadashi exited the car through the hole. Very carefully, Tadashi moved his torso through the hole first and proceeded to drag his brother through. Hands under his brother's armpits, Tadashi slowly lifted his baby brother, being careful to avoid the sharp glass the protruded from the broken windshield._

"_Son." Tadashi looked at his father. Two pairs of identical brown eyes stared at each other. "I am so proud of you." His father smiled, tears forming in his brown eyes. His mother had begun sobbing, blowing as many kisses as she could manage through her tears._

_Shocked and in denial, Tadashi laughed weakly. "What are you saying dad, you and mom are gonna get out of this! We'll all get out! We'll see Aunt Cass, and she'll make us those delicious hot wings that'll numb our face!... Right?"_

_Silence._

_His parents smiled sadly. "Of course we will," his father whispered, his voice shaking._

_Hiruto Hamada was a terrible liar._

_The magic that seemed to be holding the car up stopped. The vehicle jerked violently to the side. Tadashi had only gotten Hiro's shoulder through the hole, but the sudden movement caused him to sway. Hiro's arm grazed against the sharp glass. The merciless edge cut through the toddler's jacket, piercing into his flesh. Hiro twitched and whimpered softly as the new wound bled. Forgetting the glass, Tadashi quickly lifted his brother and football tackled himself onto the hard asphalt. Landing on his side, the rain caused him to skid a little down the rode. Refusing to let go of his brother, Tadashi hugged Hiro to his chest the whole time. Wincing at the new wound on his arm, Tadashi quickly whipped his head around to look at the wreckage._

_But he saw nothing._

_Dread filled the teenage boy._

"_No…" Scrambling to his feet and still carrying Hiro, Tadashi limped over to the edge. Very slowly, he looked over the edge as the car exploded at the bottom of the drop._

_Tadashi's tears mixed in with his rain soaked face. Screaming to the sky, Tadashi clung onto his younger brother's unconscious bleeding form._

_Hiro was right._

_The sky was crying_

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><p><strong>How sad... I wanted to cry writing this T^T<strong>

**Leave suggestions please!**

**This is just a little back story, the action is coming soon! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: Reoccurring Nightmares

**Wow Im surprised with how well this story is going O^O**

**Glad you guys are enjoying this!**

**Enjoy reading this chapter too~**

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><p>Chapter 2: Reoccurring Nightmares<p>

Tadashi's eyes flew open as he bolted upright. Taking deep breathes, he ran a shaky hand through his hair. _Just a dream…_ It has been almost 4 years since his parent's deaths, but the accident still sent shivers down his spine. _If only I could have protected them all…_

A small rustle sounded next to him. Surprised, the 17 year old looked over to his left. A small lump was protruding from under the many layers of blankets, but Tadashi could make out the mess of black hair. Smiling, Tadashi carefully moved the blankets to see his baby brother. The child must have been awoken by a nightmare last night and crawled into Tadashi's bed for comfort. It wasn't hard, as the two brothers shared a room. The only thing that separated their space was an old Japanese paper screen, but it was almost always open. After the accident, Hiro would often be awaken from reoccurring nightmares that left the child too terrified to sleep by himself.

The only antidote was Tadashi. With his older brother present, Hiro would calm down and could fall asleep again. Right now, he was breathing in deeply while nestled in his big brothers sheets. One little hand grasped onto Tadashi's shirt as though his life depended on it. The other was wrapped around a little robot plushy.

Chuckling at his adorable little brother's sleeping form, Tadashi bent down and softly kissed him on the forehead. "Morning, bonehead." The child murmured in his sleep, but otherwise stayed asleep.

Stretching, Tadashi looked at the robot clock he and Hiro shared. 5:38. Wow. He was up _way_ too early. Might as well try to catch a few more hours of shuteye…

And try to forget that dream.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Tadashi willed himself to go back to sleep. But the dream still stayed…

_Tadashi was staring at the railing in disbelief. He still clung onto his younger brother's body, even though they were sitting in the back of an ambulance. Several layers of gauze were used to wrap up the younger child's arm to keep the wound from bleeding out. It was the best they could do until they could get to a hospital. Bandages were wrapped around both brothers' head, as the first responders found that both children had minor concussions. A thick patch covered Tadashi's left cheek and arm, which had been scraped and bloody after sliding on the floor. Blankets were piled on top of the children in fear of them getting hypothermia._

_Hiro still hadn't woken up. At first Tadashi was worried that his baby brother may have slipped into a coma, but the medical examiners had reassured him that it was merely shock. Also, the child still clung onto Tadashi's hand, which was a good sign._

_The rain kept falling._

_The Hamada brothers were lucky that someone had just so happened to drive by. Horrified by what he saw, the man had quickly called the police and informed them of what had happened. Right now, he was helping answer some questions the police had._

_Aunt Cass had been informed. She had briefly talked to Tadashi, and was worried by how lifeless he sounded. Unfortunately, the roads were blocked, and she had her restaurant to take care of, so she could not leave to see her nephews, but she promised that as soon as they were checked into the hospital she would go see them._

_Tadashi stared unblinking at where his parent's car had been just hours before. It was a lie. There's no way they were really gone. They had all been together just a while ago. Everyone was together. They were a family. But one slippery road had broken their ties so easily._

_Hiro stirred in Tadashi's arms, then slowly opened his big brown eyes. Breathless with relief, Tadashi crushed Hiro to his chest. Shuddering, he realized that he easily could've lost Hiro too._

"…_Dashi?" the child mumbled. Looking out, the 4 year old shook violently. "Why is the sky still crying?" he whispered. Tadashi could not answer, holding back his tears to stay strong for his brother's sake._

_Quietly, Tadashi tried to laugh, but it sounded strangled as it escaped his lips. "Hiro, the sky isn't crying… it's just rain."_

_Then Hiro asked Tadashi the one thing he could not answer._

"_Where are mommy and daddy?"_

_Tadashi shook, unable to stay strong any longer. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, dripping down his face and landing on Hiro's forehead._

_Hiro, not realizing the weight of what happened, panicked when he saw his big brother's tears. "What's wrong Dashi? Are you hurt?" The child patted Tadashi's uninjured cheek softly. "There, there nii-chan… Don't be sad…" Touched by his brother's attempts to comfort him, Tadashi wrapped his arms around Hiro and sobbed into the child's shoulder._

_Hiro was still confused. Why was his older brother, who was always so strong and fearless, crying with the sky? Where were his parents?_

"_Hey, Dashi… where are mommy and daddy? Are they hiding?" Hiro asked, still in Tadashi's embrace._

"_I'm sorry Hiro…" the teenager shakily replied. "Mommy and daddy are gone."_

"_Nii-chan_!" Tadashi bolted awake and sat upright immediately.

_BONK!_

Holding back swear words and lying back down, Tadashi rubbed his forehead. He had collided with something when he sat up. Curling up and struggling not to cry, Tadashi held his forehead until it stopped stinging. Tears had started forming in his eyes, and he worked furiously to blink them away.

Looking over his shoulder, he realized what he had hit. Hiro was squatting on the floor, holding onto his own forehead. Small tears were starting to fall from his eyes as he struggled to hold back his sniffles. Seeing the child in such a cute and pathetic manner was too much for Tadashi. He burst out laughing, rolling around his bed. Tears started rolling down his face as he held his stomach.

The 7 year old on the floor glared at his older brother. "STUPID BROTHER!" he screamed as he ran out the room.

"Wait, Hiro, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh so hard," Tadashi tried to explain as he wiped the last tear out of his eye. "It's just… it was so ridiculous!" Allowing himself one last chuckle, he quickly got out of bed and changed. His perfect hair didn't need to be brushed, unlike the younger Hamada, whose messy head could not be tamed no matter how many brushes were involved.

Opening the bedroom door, he was unsurprised to see his younger brother sitting at the staircase, waiting for the older Hamada. Hiro's temper would usually die as fast as it was lit. Chuckling, he quietly sneaked up behind Hiro, then covered his eyes from behind. Hiro jumped at Tadashi's sudden attack. "Guess who I am, little boy!" Tadashi growled in his most menacing voice.

Hiro giggled, then smacked behind him wildly, trying to hit his older brother. "Come on Tadashi, I'm getting too old for this!"

"You're never too old for 'Guess Who'!" As Tadashi said this, he grabbed Hiro and threw him into the air. The child squealed in delight and laughed as he landed safely in Tadashi's strong arms. As though he were carrying a bag of rice, Tadashi threw Hiro over his shoulder and walked down the stairs.

Giggling, Hiro lightly hit his brother's back. "Seriously Dashi, stop!"

"Not until you guess who!"

Hiro rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "Are you Superman?"

"Wrong!" With that, Tadashi bounced Hiro around until the 7 year old was holding his stomach laughing. "Guess again!"

Laughing, Hiro said "You're my ridiculous older brother that still treats me like a baby."

"Correct!" Tadashi had already reached the living room and lightly tossed Hiro onto the sofa. Then, jokingly, Tadashi clutched his chest as staggered around theatrically. "The lights… they're growing dim!" He staggered closer to Hiro, who was fighting to hold back his giggles. As soon as he loomed over his baby brother, Tadashi crashed on top of him, pretending he had fainted.

"Oof…" was the only thing Tadashi heard as he squished his younger brother into the soft cushions.

"Am I forgiven?" Tadashi laughed as he lay on top of his brother.

"Ugh fine! You're forgiven! Now get off of me before I suffocate!" was Hiro's muffled reply. Chuckling, Tadashi stood up and tousled Hiro's already messy hair. Hiro glared at his big brother. It was a rule he had. No one touches his hair. Tadashi gave Hiro a smirk that instantly melted away the child's anger. Hiro could never stay angry at his brother for long.

"So what should we do today?" Tadashi was in college and today was one of the few days he didn't have class. Although Hiro was only 7, he was already in middle school. However, Tadashi had discovered that the older students bullied his baby brother for being so small. Nowadays Hiro stayed at home and rarely left his room. He would wait all day for Tadashi to come home from his classes.

On the days that Tadashi didn't have class, the brothers would stay together all day, either battling their own hand crafted robots or playing video games. Pride shot through Tadashi every time he told people about his younger brother. Not only was he a genius, but he was also a robotics prodigy that could make machines men five times his age could only dream of making. Usually during their bot battles, Hiro's creations almost always won. Tadashi was very smart as well; he skipped a grade in high school and entered San Fransokyo Institute of Technology at 16 while all the other freshmen were 18 or 19. Tadashi was in his second year and was slowly entering his third while Hiro was already in the 7th grade. Even though he had skipped so many grades, Tadashi could tell Hiro was bored with his classes. Obviously the curriculum was still too easy for him. However, his small size and age made him an easy target for bigger kids that wanted a human punching bag. Tadashi remembered when Hiro used to come home crying because the older kids had picked on him for being so small.

"_They keep calling me a freak… they called me a big brained freak who doesn't have any parents."_ Hiro would sniff everyday after classes. One day, Tadashi was so fed up with his little brother coming home with fresh wounds, physical and emotional, that he personally tracked down each kid and yelled at them until they were begging for mercy. Tadashi had thought he was doing his brother a favor, but it only made the bullying worse. _"Brother complexed freak"_ was added to the list of insults. Eventually, Hiro couldn't take it anymore and stayed caged up in his room for a whole week. That was the first time the paper screen was used to separate the brother's rooms. Every night, Tadashi would hear Hiro crying himself to sleep, and his heart ached for his baby brother.

Hiro's brown eyes widened at his brother's question. "Tadashi, did you forget what day today is?"

"Umm…" Tadashi searched his brain, trying to think of any importance of today. March 6th. As far as he could tell, it was a total unimportant day. _Oh wait… is it Hiro's dentist day? Or his doctor's check up appointment? Or an anniversary?!..._ Tadashi started mentally hyperventilating. How could he forget something related to Hiro?! Stupid! Playing it cool, Tadashi responded, "Why, what day is it? What's so important about it?"

Hiro's jaw dropped, revealing his cute gapped front teeth. "Tadashi, today's your 18th birthday!"

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><p><strong>How silly Tadashi... how could you forget you're own birthday xD<strong>

**Then again, I can't really complain... I did the same thing this year... T^T**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any suggestions or comments!~**


	3. Chapter 3: Happy Birthday!

**Wow, so many people like this story O^O**

**Thank you all for reading my story!**

**I hope you guys continue to read it!~**

**Also, note: The birthdays are NOT real! They are just random days I thought of, but I needed a date cuz it would be important in the story later :)**

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><p>Chapter 3: Happy Birthday!<p>

Tadashi stared blankly at his baby brother. Shoot. "Ugh…"

Before Tadashi could think of an excuse on why he forgot his own birthday, Hiro giggled. "You did this last year too, _nii-chan_!"

It was true. Tadashi had made Hiro his first priority after his parent's accident. Anything else, even if it was himself, could wait until after Hiro was safe.

Tadashi gave a weak laugh. "Haha, yea I guess I did!" He lightly hit his hand on his own head and tackled his baby brother back onto the couch. Hiro squeaked as his heavy older brother landed on him. Making sure Hiro was pinned to the cushions, Tadashi started to tickle the younger child. Hiro laughed, and struggled to break free.

"Hey, cut it out!" he said between laughs.

"You better have gotten me a good present!" Tadashi said with his lowest possible grumbling voice as he lightly rolled off of his baby brother.

At the mention of a present, Hiro's eyes shot open and he broke into his adorable gapped toothed grin. "Hang on, Dashi! I'll be right back!" The child shot up and zoomed back up the stairs.

Chuckling, Tadashi slowly stood up and walked towards the kitchen. As expected, Aunt Cass was already there, making the forgetful birthday boy his special breakfast, consisting of mountains of blueberry pancakes, topped with maple syrup, whipped cream and strawberries. She also made him a bowl of oatmeal with a smiley face drawn in it, using raisins and brown sugar.

"Morning Aunt Cass!" Tadashi walked into the kitchen, breathing in deeply and enjoying the smell of his beloved breakfast.

"Tadashi! Oh, there's my birthday boy!" Aunt Cass dropped the bowl she was holding to mix the pancake batter and gave her oldest nephew a big hug. Tadashi smiled and hugged her back. After his parents' deaths, she had immediately signed the adoption papers to avoid seeing her nephews being forcefully separated in the hands of foster care. She could see that if Hiro were ever to separate from Tadashi, the child would die of heartbreak. He had lost his parents already, and losing his brother would truly be too much. It was the same vice versa. Tadashi would be lost without Hiro in his life.

Tadashi was surprised to feel his Aunt's shoulders shaking from silent sobs. "What's wrong, Aunt Cass?"

His Aunt sniffed and stared up at the young man. "Your parent's would be so proud of you if they could see you now." Tadashi's heart clenched. After the accident, Tadashi became Hiro's father as well as brother. He always made sure his kid brother was safe and out of trouble. It was the least he could do to help his parents rest peacefully. Besides, what kind of big brother would he be if he couldn't take care of his younger brother?

"Oh… my little boy is my little _man_ now!" Aunt Cass squeaked in excitement.

Tadashi groaned. "Come on Aunt Cass, stop calling me little! I'm almost a whole two heads taller than you!" He pulled out his chair and sat down.

"It doesn't matter how tall or how old you are. You and Hiro will always be little to me." Aunt Cass said as she pulled his head over and kissed his forehead. She set down a plate of freshly made pancakes in front of the birthday boy. The smell made Tadashi's mouth water. He carefully poured maple syrup over the strawberries that covered the surface of the pancakes. Aunt Cass helped top it off with a mountain of whipped cream. After making sure her oldest nephew was happy with his breakfast set up, Aunt Cass hugged him and told him she had to go down to the restaurant. As she was leaving, he grabbed her arm and pulled her in for another hug. "Last hug," he murmured. Aunt Cass smiled, fresh tears forming in her eyes. She loved her nephews to death, and she would always be there to protect them. After Aunt Cass walked downstairs to start working, Tadashi turned his eyes to the pancakes that were begging him to eat them. Licking his lips, Tadashi grabbed his fork and knife, ready to dig in.

Just as he was about to take his first bite, Tadashi froze. How could he forget his most important thing in the world?

"Hiro! Come on buddy, you're missing Aunt Cass's killer pancakes!"

He heard a rush of movement from upstairs and a soft _ow_. A little worried, Tadashi started to stand up to go check on his brother. Suddenly, he saw Hiro flying down the stairs to stand in front of Tadashi, grinning and holding something behind his back. Giving his baby brother a quick look, Tadashi noticed a small bump on Hiro's forehead and his brown eyes slowly tearing up. Sighing, Tadashi slapped his hand to his face. Hiro probably tripped and landed on his face in his rush down to eat. _Why does my baby brother have to be such a knuckleheaded klutz?_

Kneeling down and pulling Hiro closer, Tadashi moved aside the younger Hamada's messy hair to examine the injury. It was a small bump, slowly turning red, but there wasn't any swelling. Lightly, Tadashi flicked Hiro's nose and stood up to get him some ice for his head. Hiro crinkled his small nose in response to the flick, and quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve as Tadashi walked back with the ice in hand. Smiling sheepishly, Hiro took the ice pack with one hand, while still holding his present behind his back with his other hand.

"Well then, show me what you got. And it better be great. I don't want you tripping for no reason," Tadashi said sternly (jokingly).

Holding the ice pack to his head, Hiro quickly bobbed his head up and down. "It's great, big brother! I swear!" The excitement too much, Hiro pulled out the thing hidden behind his back.

Obviously, the child had tried to wrap it when Tadashi called him down to eat. Tadashi suspected the child had probably slipped on excess wrapping paper littered around the floor, the "wrapping paper" being newspapers. The present was sloppily wrapped with tape sticking out everywhere. It was small and light, fitting nicely in Tadashi's hand.

"Open it, Dashi!" Hiro cried out excitedly. The child was practically bouncing with excitement.

Carefully working around the tape, Tadashi ripped the newspaper off of his gift. Why did Hiro have to layer it with so many pages? One page would've been enough… Finally, after a few minutes of tearing, Tadashi ripped off the final layer of his present.

…

To be honest, Tadashi had no idea what it was supposed to be. It was made of metal parts that were polished to shine brightly, but that's all it looked like. A pile of shiny metal scrap pieces of the same size. Not wanting to hurt his brother's feeling, Tadashi said, "Gee buddy… thanks for the… ugh…" Hiro giggled and took out a necklace. It was made of the same shiny metal, but Tadashi could see a small button in the center. Hiro pressed the button, and with a whir, Tadashi's pile of metal moved into action. The metal pieces rearranged themselves to form words. Right now, they were squirming on the floor, spelling out: _Happy Birthday Dashi!_

"They're microbots! You can control them to do anything you want! All you need to do is imagine it!" Hiro giggled, obviously proud of his invention. Amazed, Tadashi stared at the small pieces of metal. Looking closer, he could see the small robots linking together to form the message. "You just have to have this button. When you press it, the microbots will react to your commands only!" Hiro was practically jumping with joy while he explained his creation to his big brother.

Tadashi was speechless. He stared at the microbots in silent awe. Pride blossomed in his chest as the thought occurred to him. His brother, at 7 years of age, had worked to create such a great birthday present just for him. The new 18 year old could not be any happier.

Unfortunately, Hiro mistook the silence for disappointment. His face fell and tears started to form in his big brown eyes again. "Do you not like it?" he whispered quietly.

Tadashi practically tackled Hiro as he gave his baby brother a big bear hug. "Not like it? I love it Hiro! Oh my god, _how_ did you even _make_ this?!" Tadashi threw Hiro into the air, the child squealing in delight. Catching his baby brother, Tadashi enclosed Hiro in another deep hug, pressing his face against the younger child's. Happy that his brother liked the gift, Hiro smiled a gapped tooth smile and hugged him back. He loved his brother, and he hoped they would never have to part.

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><p>A dark figure watched the Hamada home from afar. He watched as Cass busied herself with her customers. The open window on the second story revealed the Hamada brothers, happily enjoying their breakfast together. The younger child had whipped cream on his nose, and was trying to reach it with just his tongue. The older one was laughing at how ridiculous his brother was acting.<p>

Sneering, the figure pulled out his phone. Dialing a number, he pressed the phone to his ear and waited. A few seconds later, a click on the other end signaled the figure to start speaking.

"Sir, it's me… I found them."

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><p>A chill went down Tadashi's spine. Confused, Tadashi looked out the window. All he saw was a busy street full of bustling city life. Shrugging, he went back to helping Hiro cut his pancakes. The younger brother was sitting in Tadashi's lap, playing with the syrup in his plate. As he bent over, the younger Hamada looped the necklace around the older Hamada's neck. The microbots had been put into a small jar to ensure that Tadashi could have them with him at all times. Looking at the control, Tadashi noticed it was actually a locket. "Open the back of the control, Dashi," Hiro giggled. Tadashi slowly opened the locket, and felt his breath catch in his throat.<p>

There were two pictures. The first was the first family picture Tadashi and Hiro took with Aunt Cass. It was after the boys had gotten over the initial shock that their parents were gone, and when Aunt Cass had finally gotten comfortable with being a parent. Their earlier pictures had all been awkward and tense, but this was the first picture that actually made it look like they were a family. Hiro was riding on Tadashi's strong shoulders, and Aunt Cass was clinging onto his left arm. They were smiling with all the joy in the world.

The second picture was just Tadashi and Hiro. Tadashi was hugging the child from behind, and Hiro was laughing at the camera. This picture was taken a year after their parents death. It was the fist time both of them actually smiled since the accident.

Hands shaking, Tadashi turned the locket to see a small inscription carved into the back. It read: _Love you big brother, from Hiro._

He couldn't take it anymore. Tears of joy ran down Tadashi's face and fell onto Hiro's head. Surprised that his brother was crying, Hiro frowned and said, "Why are you crying, Dashi?" He placed a hand on his big brother's face, trying to figure out why his favorite person was shedding tears.

Tadashi laughed shakily. He brought a hand up to hold Hiro's hand to his face. "I'm crying cuz I'm _happy_, knucklehead." He leaned down and planted a kiss on the younger child's head. Making a face, Hiro used his free hand to wipe the area Tadashi had kissed, but inside, he was happy his brother was happy.

* * *

><p>"They should've died 4 years ago!"<p>

The floor shook as the figure slammed his hands down on the table. His employee flinched, but stayed firm. "I'm sorry, sir, but it seems as though our source was correct. The Hamada brothers are indeed still alive."

The figure narrowed his eyes. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?" he hissed mercilessly. "You know what to do! And get it right this time!" he snapped to his employee.

The employee bowed deeply before retreating out of the room. He would do anything to avoid his employer's wrath.

Even if it meant ending two innocent lives.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally, the bad guys are in the story :O<strong>

**Hehe, I had to get the microbots in somehow ;)**

**Please continue leaving comments or suggestions!~**


	4. Chapter 4: I Swear

**Finally! New Characters! xD**

**Again, thank you all for reading my story!**

**Enjoy!~**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: I Swear<p>

To celebrate his birthday, Tadashi called his friends and invited them over to spend a day together. Fred, Wasabi, Gogo and Honey Lemon all agreed they would drop by after they finished classes.

Tadashi was excited. This would be the first time his little brother met his friends, and he was excited to finally let his friends see his pride and joy.

"Come on buddy, go get dressed so you look normal." Tadashi held out his hand, expecting the child to grab on and walk upstairs with him. Instead, Hiro stared at the floor, face expressionless. Worry was swimming in his brown eyes.

"What's wrong, little bro?"

Hiro was silent, then whispered, "What if they don't like me?..." His head shot up to look at Tadashi. The worry had turned to full on panic. "What if they pick on me, like the kids at school!" The 7 year old started hyperventilating, fear and panic brimming in his big eyes.

"Whoa, whoa buddy! Slow down there!" Tadashi kneeled down to get eye level with his baby brother. "First of all, breathe." Hiro let out a deep breath, slowly breathed in, then back out. "And second of all, I _promise_ you, that my friends _are not_ like the kids at school. They're mature, grown up adults… well, maybe not Fred, but he's still nice… and they wouldn't pick on little kids. I _promise_." Hiro still looked unsure, biting his lip nervously.

Sighing, Tadashi hugged Hiro reassuringly and told him "Hey… there is _no way_ I would let _anyone_ hurt my baby brother. And if they want to, they'll have to go through _me_ first." The older Hamada thumped his chest, jokingly imitating a gorilla.

Hiro smiled. "Alright… but you're sure they won't pick on me?"

Tadashi put his hands on Hiro's shoulders and looked deeply into the child's eyes. "_I swear_."

* * *

><p>The dark figure continued to watch the restauranthouse. Cass was still working, while the Hamada brothers had disappeared upstairs. _There are too many people here… it'll be too noticeable if I did something now…_

Glaring at the window the Hamada brothers were last seen at, the figure growled, "Why couldn't you two just _die_ with your parents?"

* * *

><p>Tadashi's friends all finished class at 1:30. They all agreed they would go for a late lunch at Aunt Cass's restaurant then proceed to celebrate with the birthday boy. Tadashi and his casual dressed little brother sat in a booth waiting for them to arrive. Hiro was wearing a red shirt and one of Tadashi's old hoodie jackets. His baggy khakis hanged loosely over his sneakers. He clung onto Tadashi's sleeve, refusing to let go. Subconsciously, he started biting his lip again. After a few minutes, Tadashi was afraid he would bite through his lower lip when the restaurant's front door bell rang. Looking up, Tadashi smiled; his friends were here. He stood up to greet them. Hiro quickly scrambled up to his feet, holding onto Tadashi's shirt and refusing to look up.<p>

Honey Lemon spotted Tadashi and waved excited towards his direction. "Hi Tadashi!" When he reached them the tall blond gave him a big hug. "Happy birthday!" she squealed excitedly while jumping up and down.

"Whoa, whoa, Honey, calm down a bit! Wouldn't want to scare kids away, now would ya?" With that, Tadashi stepped to the side, revealing his baby brother.

He felt kind of bad. The kid was terrified. Shrinking back, Hiro's eyes widened as he stared up at all of the older people before him. He swallowed, then opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Tadashi swore he heard Hiro's heart beating and echoing through the restaurant.

Honey Lemon gasped and squealed again. She stooped down to Hiro's height and smiled kindly to the frightened child. Hiro flinched and backed up, but Tadashi was impressed that he didn't bolt upstairs. "Hey there! I'm Honey Lemon, Tadashi's friend!" she chirped happily. She reached over and gave the younger Hamada a hug. Hiro froze, but slowly softened up. Shyly, he looked down at his shoes and mumbled, "Hi… I'm Hiro Hamada…" Squealing at how adorable the child was Honey Lemon tackled him in another bear hug.

"Hey, Honey, don't strangle my brother," Tadashi laughed.

Giggling, Honey Lemon let go of Hiro and brushed off his clothes. The child stumbled a bit, but caught his balance by grabbing his brother's hand. Everyone cooed at how adorable their brotherly love was.

"Come on Hiro, meet the rest of them…" Tadashi lightly jerked his head towards his friends. Hiro swallowed, then greeted each of them.

Tadashi learned a lot about his friends that day. Gogo, a Korean woman decked out with purple highlights and full on black skater clothes seemed as though she would be the most uncomfortable with meeting a child. However, to Tadashi's surprise, she really loves small and adorable things, and being that Hiro fit both of those descriptions, she adored the kid. Although she didn't squeal like Honey Lemon, she did give Hiro a big hug and seemed almost reluctant to give him up.

Wasabi always seemed big and scary in the lab, but with a child in his presence, he became a big teddy bear. The African American man was completely goo goo over Hiro. He was perfect babysitter material.

Fred was… well, Fred. His very first question for Hiro was, "Hey, can _you_ make me a formula that'll transform me into a fire breathing lizard?" But even though Fred was weird, Tadashi could still tell that the lanky college student liked his baby brother. He even let Hiro wear his beanie, which was something he _never_ did.

The rest of the afternoon was spent laughing and joking around as the group waited for Aunt Cass to close shop. Everyone made sure to include Hiro in their conversations, not wanting the child to feel left out. At one point, Fred challenged Hiro to a gummy bear eating competition. The student lost, but he couldn't stop laughing as Hiro bounced off the walls in a sugar rush. Tadashi practically had to sit on his brother to stop him from eating all the gummy bears.

Aunt Cass decided to close early so she could make her nephew a special birthday dinner. Tadashi dragged Hiro up the stairs to wait with everyone else as their aunt cooked. Unknown to Tadashi, every time his back was turned, Fred would give Hiro a handful of gummy bears. Mostly because he couldn't resist the adorable puppy face look. _No wonder Tadashi dotes on the kid so much, he's adorable!_

Honey and Gogo sat around Hiro and told him embarrassing stories of his brother at the lab. Like the one time he forgot he was holding a hot cup of coffee and accidentally spilled it all over his pants. Not only was it scalding hot, but he also had to walk around all day with a huge coffee stain blossomed across his left thigh. Hiro giggled uncontrollably at each story, but the college students weren't sure if it was because he genuinely thought it was hilarious or because of all the sugar.

An hour later, Aunt Cass announced that dinner was ready. She had made her special hot wings that made everyone's faces numb along with several tasty side dishes, including _takoyaki_, Tadashi's favorite. She also baked a cake for Tadashi that read: _Happy Birthday, Little Man!_

Tadashi blushed at the "Little Man" part, but he was happy his Aunt cared for him so much. Hiro had crashed on the couch after dinner, drained from all the adrenaline the sugar rush had forced through his little body. He managed to sleep through all the noise the college students were making, which amazed Tadashi. They had gotten several complaints from other houses, but his baby brother was fast asleep, not reacting to a single noise.

"Aww, look at him! He's so precious!" Honey Lemon purred as she watched Hiro's sleeping form. Gogo immediately nodded.

"Little guy's exhausted… we should let him sleep," Wasabi murmured.

Tadashi and his friends talked for another hour before they decided it was time to leave. They all had early morning classes tomorrow, and staying too late would make it hard for them to wake up. Tadashi gently shook Hiro awake. The child gave murmurs of protest, but finally woke up to say goodbye to his new friends. Groggily rubbing his eyes, he waved as they walked out the door. Honey Lemon waved back enthusiastically, and Gogo raised a hand in a cool farewell. Wasabi patted him on the head and Fred took his beanie back, but promised he would get one for Hiro in the future.

Tadashi glanced at the clock. Ouch. 11:32. It was _way_ past Hiro's bedtime. Aunt Cass gave her nephews a goodnight hug and kiss before retiring to her own room along with their fat cat, Mochi. Hiro's eyelids began drooping again. Tadashi laughed quietly. There was no way Hiro could make it back upstairs without falling asleep on the stairs.

The first stop was the bathroom. After all those sweets, there was no way Hiro was going to escape getting his teeth brushed. While he was standing in front of the mirror, Hiro's head drooped, only to jerk back up as he choked on the toothpaste's minty taste. Afraid his brother's exhaustion would cause him injury, Tadashi carefully brushed his baby brother's teeth for him. Hiro made several weak attempts to shove his older brother away, but finally gave up. He was way too tired to fight back now.

Tadashi carried his brother back up to their room. He had actually fallen asleep while Tadashi was brushing his own teeth. When he reached their room, he tucked his baby brother into bed. Tadashi was so tired that he felt as though he would collapse any second. Before he retired to his own bed, Tadashi placed the robot plushy in Hiro's arms. Automatically, the child cuddled the doll as smiled in his sleep. "Happy birthday Dashi…" he murmured.

Smiling, Tadashi kissed his kid brother's forehead. "Thanks for the great birthday present, bonehead. I love you." Hiro murmured again, before falling into a peaceful slumber.

Yawning and stretching his tired arms, Tadashi fell onto his bed. Pulling his blankets over his body, he pulled out the locket Hiro had given him. Opening the locket, he looked at the picture of him with Aunt Cass and his little brother. Their little family. Smiling contently, Tadashi rolled over and closed his eyes. Hopefully, he could sleep peacefully tonight…

* * *

><p><strong>Isn't Hiro the cutest?<strong>

**And Tadashi has such a brother complex, it's great!**

**Look forward to the next chapter~ ;)**

**Leave any comments, suggestions or questions you'd like! I'll answer them with each chapter update~**


	5. Chapter 5: I Love My Family

**Thank you all for all the suggestions and positive feedback!~**

**I'll work to get them into the story somehow x3**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: I Love My Family<p>

Tadashi woke to the sound of groaning. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the clock. 6:00 am. His class wasn't till 8:30. Grumbling, Tadashi got out of bed to check on the source of the noise.

Another groan. Hiro was a lump under his covers. Sighing, Tadashi sat down next to the lump and patted it. "What's wrong, little bro?"

"Tummy hurts…" was the only reply, followed along with another groan.

"Must've been from all that candy yesterday." Tadashi retorted. "Told you not to eat too much." Another groan, along with some sniffles.

Sighing deeply, Tadashi gently pulled the cover off his baby brother's face. Tears were threatening to spill out of his eyes and he was curled up into a ball, holding his stomach in pain. "Wait here," Tadashi said sympathetically. Hiro nodded weakly. Not like he could go anywhere anyways.

Quickly making his way to the medicine cabinet, Tadashi pulled out a bottle of chewable stomach pain relievers while also making sure to grab a glass of water on his way back up stairs. Tadashi slowly poked his head into the room. Hiro had changed from curling up into a ball to lying face down on the pillow. He was silent as Tadashi walked over.

Sitting on the bed again, Tadashi placed a reassuring hand on the child's messy hair. Hiro made a muffled sound of protest before groaning again. "Come on, buddy. Eat these and they should help with your stomach." Hiro shook his head, face still buried in the pillow. He hated taking any type of medicine, chewable or not.

"If you don't your stomach's gonna keep hurting," Tadashi warned. Hiro froze. Weighing his options of eating yucky medicine or continuous pain, Hiro would rather take the medicine. Grumbling, he slowly rolled over and sat up in bed. "Attaboy! Come on, it's not _that_ bad…" Tadashi encouraged as Hiro quickly chewed up the medicine.

Making a face as he swallowed, he quickly drank the glass of water Tadashi had provided. After he finished the glass, he stuck his little tongue out and murmured "Blegh" in disgust. "That was one of the _worst_ things that I've ever tasted." the child declared, eyes wide and serious.

Tadashi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a drama queen, it wasn't _that_ bad.

"Was too!" Hiro sat up and glared at his brother, daring him to argue back. Well, _someone_ was feeling better.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Tadashi sighed. "So how much candy did you eat anyways?"

Hiro stared sheepishly at the covers. "Promise not to get mad?"

"Promise." Tadashi replied, but inside he was dreading Hiro's answer. How bad was it that he would get mad?

Hiro looked behind his brother to make sure he didn't cross his fingers. To make it easier, Tadashi placed his hands in the air as though he were surrendering. Taking a deep breath, Hiro said quietly, "Fred gave me handfuls of gummy bears when you weren't looking."

Tadashi sat rigidly on the bed. He stared at Hiro, but didn't move a muscle.

"Dashi?" Hiro asked worriedly. He waved a small hand in front of his brother's face, hoping to snap his brother out of his daze.

Gritting his teeth firmly, Tadashi growled, "I'm gonna kill him."

* * *

><p>Fred felt a chill go down his spine. Turning around, he stared down the elegant hall of portraits. Nothing.<p>

Still feeling spooked, he clapped his hands for the family butler. "Dude, Heathcliff, can you check if all the alarms are still working?"

"Right away, Master Fredrick."

"Thanks, man." Fred sat down at the grand table, ready to dig into his breakfast.

* * *

><p>"Tadashi, don't be so mad," Hiro whined with his head in a garbage can. The medicine had worked it's magic, but part of that magic was to make Hiro empty his stomach. It took about an hour for the medicine to kick in, but when it did, Tadashi was by the sick child the whole time. Hiro had managed to get a few minutes of rest while Tadashi took the opportunity to take a quick shower, but as soon as he was done his brother was puking again.<p>

"I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna make him regret ever feeding you those gummy bears! I'm gonna…" Tadashi's dark threats trailed off as his baby brother gagged again. Rubbing small circles on his brother's back, Tadashi murmured words of sympathy as Hiro painfully threw up the remaining gummy bears that were still in his stomach.

"Ugh… I'm never eating gummy bears again." Hiro declared.

Tadashi snickered. _No way. The day Hiro stops eating gummy bears is the day the world ends._

"Feeling better?"

"No, my stomach feels like it was used as a punching bag."

The child's eyes were groggy and tired and beads of sweat dotted the surface of his forehead. Tadashi placed his forehead on Hiro's to check his temperature. On normal day, Hiro would complain and tell his brother he was fine, but he was too exhausted to actually care right now, which worried Tadashi.

"Maybe you got the stomach flu?..." Tadashi murmured to himself, head still pressed against Hiro's. His baby brother's eyes were drooping and he was leaning on Tadashi's head as support. Sighing, Tadashi got up and carefully tucked Hiro into bed. "You're staying in bed today, little bro. No getting up to tinker with any robotics stuff until I get back from class, got it?"

Hiro nodded groggily. His eyes were already shut tight, and he was hugging his robot plushy for comfort.

Just to make sure, Tadashi placed a glass of water on the counter so if he woke up he wouldn't have to get up and get one himself. He also placed the garbage can (with the old bag thrown out) next to his bed so in case he still had some gummy bears left in his system he wouldn't have to go too far. "I'll be back by 1:45, I promise." Tadashi whispered.

As he was leaving the room, Hiro muttered, "Hey, _nii-chan_."

"Yea, _otouto_?"

The child smiled contently. "Your friends are pretty cool… can you tell them that for me?"

Smiling, Tadashi whispered, "Sure thing, buddy… I'll tell them that, and maybe they'll come visit after school."

The last thing Tadashi saw when he closed the door was his brother's gapped tooth grin.

* * *

><p>Gogo snapped her bubble gum between her teeth. She had to pick up Honey Lemon before both of them were going to be late. Making a sharp turn on her motorcycle, she skid to a halt when she saw Honey Lemon waving enthusiastically at her.<p>

"Morning, Gogo!" the blonde woman squealed as she caught the helmet throw to her. "Tadashi just sent us a group text," she gushed as she climbed onto the bike.

"Oh yea? What's it say?"

"Hiro's sick, poor baby…" Honey frowned sympathetically. "Seems like an overdose of gummy bears from last night."

Gogo sighed. She knew she should've stopped Fred after the third handful, but Hiro was too cute to resist. "He's gonna kill Fred," Gogo deduced as she sped down the streets of San Fransokyo. Honey clung onto the Korean woman's waist while nodding in agreement. Boy, was it going to be an interesting morning in the lab today.

* * *

><p>Tadashi walked down the stairs to the second story. His Aunt had popped in two bagels and was pouring a glass of milk. "Good morning, Aunt Cass!" Tadashi greeted cheerfully. Just as he walked into the kitchen, the bagels popped out of the toaster. Carefully grabbing one half, Tadashi gave his Aunt a quick hug.<p>

"Ohh, my little man!" Aunt Cass squealed as she handed him the glass of milk.

Tadashi took a bite out of the bagel. "Hiro's sick," he stated as he quickly chased down the scalding hot bagel with the cold milk. "Overdose of sweets from last night."

"Oh, poor dear…" Aunt Cass sighed. "I'll check on him while you're at school, make sure he doesn't do anything reckless…"

Tadashi nodded in appreciation and grabbed his moped helmet and keys. "Well, gotta go Aunt Cass! Need to get to class and all…"

"Wait, Tadashi…"

Surprised, Tadashi stuck his head back into the kitchen. "What's up?"

Hesitating, Aunt Cass stared at the floor, unsure how to start the conversation.

"I have to hurry, or I'll be late, Aunt Cass," Tadashi said quietly.

Aunt Cass, closed her eyes, and nodded. "Right… well, I guess I just wanted to ask… do you still want to live here?"

Tadashi froze. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

Aunt Cass looked around awkwardly, looking for a better way to explain herself. "Well, it's just that… you're 18 now, a legal adult… and you could technically take Hiro and live by yourselves if you don't like it with me… and…" her voice trailed off as she felt Tadashi's frozen stare pointed at her.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, Tadashi whispered, "Are you kicking me and Hiro out?"

Aunt Cass quickly looked up, pain in her eyes. "No! I love my family! It's just, I don't think it's safe to be with me anymore…" Tears spilled out of her eyes.

"What do you mean it's not safe?" Tadashi demanded.

Aunt Cass shook her head sadly, unable to say. "I bought you an apartment close by… so you could still visit…" The tears were still falling.

Unable to speak, Tadashi crossed the kitchen and gave her a big hug. Sobbing, Aunt Cass returned the hug, tears forming marks on her nephew's shirt.

"We'll talk about this tonight… with Hiro." Tadashi whispered.

Aunt Cass nodded, then quickly wiped her eyes. "Well then, mister adult, you better get to class!" she exclaimed. "Go, go, go!" She practically shoved him down the stairs.

"Wait!" Tadashi had one foot outside when his Aunt gave him another big hug. "Last hug," she whispered.

* * *

><p>The figure watched as the older Hamada sped off on his moped, obviously rushing to class. Cass was beginning to open shop, and the younger Hamada was nowhere to be seen. Hissing in delight, the figure stalked towards the restaurant. It was early, and no one was around to see him. Tilting his hat to hide his face, he walked into the restaurant casually. Cass was "stress eating" as he walked in, but upon seeing the "customer," she smiled. "Welcome! I'm sorry, but we're not open yet. If you'd like, you can wait a bit at a booth of your choice, and I'll get you served up ASAP!"<p>

"That would be great, Cass." The figure lifted his hat, revealing his face.

The color drained from the woman's face. She dropped the pastry she was holding and grabbed for the counter behind her. "You… b-but, how did you find them!" she stuttered as she stumbled back.

The figure chuckled. "I have my sources, Cass, and I'd rather keep them to myself."

Acting fast, Aunt Cass quickly picked up her phone to dial 911, but the figure only smirked. "Call the police, and I don't promise the little genius upstairs will still be alive."

Aunt Cass stopped. Oh no. Hiro.

Turning on her heel, Aunt Cass quickly stumbled upstairs. She burst into the brothers' room to see...

Hiro fast asleep in bed.

There was no one there.

Cursing herself, she realized she had fallen right into his trap. She turned, only to find the figure looming over her while pointing a pistol at her face. "Now be a good girl and go to your precious nephew," he purred as he pointed his gun to Hiro's sleeping form.

Gritting her teeth, Aunt Cass quickly positioned herself between the gun and the sleeping child.

"Well?" she hissed quietly. "How did you find them? And why are you back!"

* * *

><p>Wasabi was running late. He was usually in the lab already, but for some reason his alarm that rang precisely at 7:30 hadn't sounded. He didn't wake up until 8.<p>

_Well, since I'm in this part of the neighborhood, might as well stop by the restaurant and grab a donut._ He jogged around the corner and walked up to the door, only to be surprised by a "_Sorry, we're closed_" sign.

That's weird… Aunt Cass usually had her shop open by 8 am. It was almost 8:30, but the lights were off in the restaurant. Taking a few steps back, Wasabi looked up to the rest of the building. Seeing the third floor's light on, Wasabi remembered Tadashi's mass text of how Hiro was dying of gummy bear overdose.

Shrugging, Wasabi started walking away. She was probably taking a day off to take care of her sick nephew.

He didn't get very far away from the building when it exploded behind him.

The force of the explosion projected him forward, but his strong build protected him from any major injuries, although there were a few scrapes here and there, not to mention the ringing in his ear.

That didn't stop him from hearing the screams.

The people of everyday San Fransokyo life were also projected away by the blast, but some weren't as lucky as Wasabi was. Then, there was the building…

"Quick, someone call the police!"

Wasabi watched in horror as Tadashi's home burned, with his family most likely still in it.

* * *

><p>Tadashi quickly parked his moped. On his way to the lab, he had thought to himself, <em>do I still want to live with Aunt Cass?<em> Well, sure he loved his Aunt to death, but he knew he and Hiro were a huge burden on her. Running a restaurant wasn't the easiest thing in the world, and having two extra people there made it nearly impossible. If the Hamada brothers lived on their own, they could survive off of the money their parent's had set aside for them. After all, they had been _very_ successful business people before that night. Also, worse comes to worse, Tadashi could always get a job.

Sighing deeply, he took off his helmet and walked into the lab. His first class had been cancelled that day, so he was planning on working in his lab for a bit before his next one. As soon as he walked in, he was greeted by Professor Callaghan.

"Ah, good morning Mr. Hamada! How is your project coming along?"

"It's great, Professor Callaghan. Piece of cake!" Tadashi lied. It had actually taken him 83 tries to get the robot he had been working on to work.

"That's great, Tadashi! Can't wait to see it in action," the older man chuckled.

"You won't be disappointed, sir" Tadashi promised. "Baymax is going to help a lot of people."

"I'm sure he will, Tadashi" Callaghan said as he placed a hand on the older Hamada's shoulder. Waving goodbye, Tadashi quickly walked into the lab to begin work again.

The next things he saw were his friends. Wasabi, who was usually in the lab 8:30 sharp, was nowhere to be seen. Gogo was still testing on how to make her magnetic-levitation bike faster, spinning the wheels and tweaking the body of the bike. Honey was squealing with excitement as she listed off all the chemicals she needed for her next experiment. She was also the first person to see Tadashi walk into the lab.

"Tadashi! Good morning!" she screamed over her music. "How's Hiro doing?!"

Laughing, Tadashi walked over to her station and pulled out the ear buds. "Whoa, Honey, don't make the whole lab go deaf!" Honey Lemon giggled in embarrassment as she turned down the volume of her music.

"Thanks for doing us all a huge favor, Tadashi" Gogo muttered. "If you're looking for Fred, he's tormenting the guy that made the cat rocket boots."

Remembering his anger at his friend, Tadashi cracked his knuckles. "Thanks, Gogo."

The Korean woman nodded, before saying, "Hey don't beat him up too much, leave some for me."

Tadashi slowly crept around several large and odd machines to find Fred chattering with the poor guy that made cat rocket boots for his pet. Fred was trying to get him to make a human sized one for him, but when the inventor said he couldn't, Fred refused to listen. Tadashi cleared his throat and casually walked over. The young inventor looked so happy when he saw someone there to help him. Taking the opportunity, he quickly ran out the lab with his cat in his arms.

"Hey, hey Tadashi!" Fred greeted his friend warmly. "How's the little guy doing?"

Tadashi shrugged while controlling his expression. "Oh, well, you know… he's fine, except for the fact that _he's puking up his intestines_." Tadashi glowered at his friend. Fred swallowed. Shoot, protective older brother mode was activated.

"Aw, come on Tadashi! How could I resist that adorable face?" Fred tried to reason with his seriously pissed off friend.

"I swear to god, Fred, when I'm done with you-"

"Hey, is anyone in here a 'Tadashi Hamada'?" Cat rocket boot guy was back.

Growling, Tadashi pointed a finger at Fred. "Don't think this is over…" he whispered before saying out loud, "Yeah, that's me. What's up?" Fred sighed, relief flooding over him.

Until he heard the news.

The inventor's eyes widened as he said, "Dude, the police are out there. They said that your house is on fire, and your Aunt and little brother are missing!"

* * *

><p><strong>Took the crossed fingers idea from me and my sister~<strong>

**I finally got some action into the story, but don't worry! Their cuteness will still continue throughout the story!**

**Please leave any comments, suggestions, or questions in the review!~**


	6. Chapter 6: Good Luck

**Back with another update~**

**I feel like I'm spoiling you all with such frequent updates... but writing this is so fun! Especially when I imagine how cute the brothers are xD**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I'll keep all your messages in mind as I continue this story x)**

**Here's a challenge: Get through this chapter without tearing up at least once O^O**

**Good Luck! Enjoy this chapter~**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Good Luck<p>

Tadashi's heart froze. The lab was silent with shock. It was no secret that Tadashi was an overprotective brother, and the mere thought of Hiro missing was probably killing the older Hamada.

"Tadashi…" Honey Lemon whispered. That snapped him out of his daze. Quickly, he ran outside with the cat rocket boots inventor. Fred, Gogo and Honey Lemon followed closely behind them.

As soon as Tadashi left the building, he made a beeline for his moped.

"Wait! Tadashi!" Impatiently, Tadashi whipped his head around to glare at his friends. Fear and anger burned in his eyes, which surprised them all. He was usually so calm and composed, but to see him break down truly frightened them.

"What?!" he snapped. "My family could be burning up alive in our own home and you want me to wait?"

"I was _going_ to say," Gogo said crossly, "do you wanna borrow my bike? It'll be faster than that little thing you have." She crossed her arms and glared at him, panic showing in her eyes.

Tadashi opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, guilt washing over him. "I'm sorry guys…" he mumbled. "It's just that… Hiro…"

"Get going, mister!" Honey Lemon commanded. She picked up the helmet from the back of Gogo's bike and tossed it to him.

"Better make sure that little guy's ok for us, got that?" Fred said, looking confidently at Tadashi. He was positive that if anyone could keep Hiro safe, it would only be his big brother.

Nodding gratefully at his friends, Tadashi climbed onto Gogo's motorcycle and quickly sped off. His friends watched him with fear in their hearts.

_Hiro… Aunt Cass… please be safe…_

* * *

><p>Hiro woke up to a metal barrel pointed at his face. Shocked, Hiro backed up against his headboard, eyes never leaving the gun. Sweat dripped down his face as he tried his best not to cry.<p>

Wait. Why was it so hot?

The gun had temporarily left Hiro unclear of what was going on around him. It wasn't until a stray ember fell on his hand did he realize the room was on fire.

Terrified, the young child opened his mouth to call for help, but the gun moved closer to his face, warning him to keep quiet. The figure holding the gun slowly brought his finger up to his lip. Hiro nodded. He got the message. Stay quiet or die.

A groan sounded on the floor. Shocked, Hiro quickly looked to see his Aunt stirring on the ground. A gash ran across her left temple and blood was slowly dripping out of the open wound. She looked up and locked eyes with Hiro. Terror clouded her gaze when she saw the gun was only a few inches away from her youngest nephew's face. "No…" she whispered hoarsely. "Please, don't…" She grabbed onto the figure's jacket. "I'm begging you, don't do this." Tears began falling from her face.

The figure chuckled heartlessly. "Ahh, Cass… I see you woke up to see me kill your first nephew." Hiro whimpered, clutching wildly at the sheets, desperately looking for something to protect him. Aunt Cass shot him a quick look, then looked at the figure, then to the door.

Normal kids would not have understood what she was doing. Heck, normal _adults_ wouldn't have either.

But Hiro was different. He was a genius, and he understood his Aunt's message as though she had said it out loud. _I'll distract him, and you go for the door._

Quick as a viper, Aunt Cass grabbed the figures legs and used all her strength to push herself down. The man bellowed in rage and surprise as he fell, the gun falling from his grasp. Quickly, Hiro scrambled out of bed and charged for the door, covering his face as smoke filled the room. Tears were forming in his eyes from the ash that was falling, and his lungs felt like they would burst, but he kept running.

However, no matter how fast he was, he was still young and his strides were small. Recovering quickly, the man grabbed his gun and fired a random shot to where the child was.

"NO!" Aunt Cass screamed. Hiro fell to the floor, not moving.

Breathing deeply, the man laughed coldly. "Now to take care of the other one," he sneered. Calmly walking over the child's body, he exited the room. Aunt Cass heard the doorknob outside get jerked roughly before a metallic groan sounded through the crackling of the flames. He had broken off the door handle. There was no way out.

* * *

><p>Tadashi turned to corner in horror. Black, putrid smoke had filled the air and it was raining ashes. The firefighters were spraying the flames with water, but the angry fire refused to go down. The flames licked up the side of the building. The glass windows shattered and burst one by one as the heat travelled up Tadashi's home.<p>

Wasabi was sitting in the back of an ambulance with a blanket over his strong shoulders. He had a band-aid over his right cheek and his right hand was wrapped tightly with bandages. He was grasping an unopened water bottle tightly in his uninjured hand, eyes never leaving the flaming building.

"Wasabi!" Tadashi yelled out as he ran to his friend.

Seeing his friend, Wasabi's eyes widened in fear. "Tadashi! Man, am I glad to see you!" He pointed to the house. "Your aunt and brother are still inside! I tried to tell the police, but they're too busy treating the other people that were caught in the explosion…"

Tadashi's stomach dropped. His worst nightmare was coming true. Hiro was in danger, and he wasn't there to help. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the bottle of unopened water and splashed it all over himself. It wasn't much, but it would work as a temporary guard against the flames. "Wait here." Tadashi ordered as he shoved his hat and the empty bottle into Wasabi's arms. "When the rest of the guys get here, tell them I'm going to save my family." With that, Tadashi turned and ran straight into the flaming building. The police and firefighters were all too preoccupied to notice.

Wasabi closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky. Clutching his friend's beloved baseball cap, he whispered, "Good luck…"

* * *

><p>"Hiro! Hiro, baby, <em>please<em> open your eyes!" Cass crawled over to where the child was lying. He hadn't gotten very far, despite his effort. He only made it to the bookcase before he fell. "Hiro!" Cass shook his shoulder, hoping he would wake up.

The child groaned in pain as Cass shook him. Relief flooded over her when she saw her youngest nephew was alive, but it was quickly replaced by fear. Blood was slowly pooling onto the floor from the child's shoulder. Looking at her hand, she realized it was also covered with her nephew's blood. The bullet had grazed Hiro's left shoulder, leaving a long gash of exposed flesh. Blood was slowly flowing out of the wound, and even though the room was still on fire, his skin was getting clammy and cold.

Panicking, Cass quickly ripped off the sleeve of her shirt and pressed it against Hiro's injury. The blood stopped flowing out, but he was still weak from the amount he had lost from his small body. Gathering her nephew into her arms, she scanned the room, looking for any other exit. The windows were too small, and the man had broken the handle of the doorknob, trapping the two inside.

A groan sounded in her arms. Looking down, relief flooded her again when she saw her youngest nephew open his eyes.

"Aunt Cass?" he said hoarsely before starting a bought of coughing. The smoke had gotten to him while he was unconscious.

"Don't worry, Hiro, I'm right here," she promised her nephew.

"My shoulder hurts," he whimpered, tears falling from his eyes.

"Shh, shh… I know, baby, I know…" Cass whispered. "Don't worry, I'm sure the firefighters are looking for us now. And Tadashi! He's bound to worried over us…"

"Dashi…" Hiro murmured weakly, his eyes drooping. Worry filled Cass. Part of her wanted her nephew to rest, but another part told her it was a bad idea, because he might not wake up.

"No… no, NO!" Cass put her hand on the child's face. "Hiro, please, I know you're tired, but please try to stay awake," she begged. "Look at me, baby, please…" tears fell from her face and landed on Hiro's face.

Opening his eyes into slits, Hiro frowned. "Don't cry, Aunt Cass…" he murmured as he placed a hand on her cheek, much like how he comforted his older brother.

Smiling down at her nephew, Cass bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "Don't worry, little guy… we'll get out of this," she promised. Another explosion shook the building, causing the bookcase to tip. Gasping, Aunt Cass quickly pushed Hiro out of her arms as the bookcase came crashing down.

* * *

><p>"Aunt Cass! Hiro!" Tadashi called as he ran up the stairs. The flames were merciless, eating up the kitchen as Tadashi charged by. "Come on! Where are you!" He ran up another flight of stairs, coughing as the ash and smoke entered his lungs. Reaching his and Hiro's room, Tadashi bent down to catch his breath, but immediately froze. Listening past the crackling flames and burning wood, he heard it.<p>

"Dashi…"

They were in the room!

Grabbing for the door handle, Tadashi was shocked to find the handle was gone. _Did the fire break it off?... _But it wasn't on the floor…

Hiro started coughing in the room. His breathing was labored and painful to listen to.

"Hang on, buddy!" Tadashi yelled through the door. "I'm coming!" Bracing himself, Tadashi threw all his strength against the door. The wooden frame groaned in protest, but started cracking. _One more time…_ Tadashi threw his body against the door again. This time the frame cracked, but the door still stayed closed. _Last one._

Taking a deep breath, Tadashi rammed his body against the door. The door gave way and Tadashi stumbled into the room.

Horrified, Tadashi looked to see his baby brother's broken form lying on the floor. Blood was flowing out of a wound on his shoulder, and he had stopped moving.

"No… no, no, no, NO!" Tadashi yelled as he kneeled down next to Hiro's body. "No, please, Hiro, don't do this to me!" the teenager begged. Pressing his hand on the wound to stop the blood flow, Tadashi gathered up the small child in his arms. Broken sobs ripped through his chest as tears fell from his face.

A groan. Then a small hand on his face.

"Dashi?... why are you crying?" Hiro murmured sluggishly.

"Because, knucklehead," Tadashi crushed Hiro lightly to his chest as tears continued to fall from his eyes. "You scared me."

* * *

><p>Wasabi caught Fred, Gogo and Honey Lemon up to speed. All four friends stared at the burning building, fearful for their best friend and his family.<p>

The sky was dark when a sudden flash of lightning shook the clouds.

Then the rain began to fall.

* * *

><p>"Where's Aunt Cass?" Tadashi had used the sleeves of his shirt to make a temporary sling for his baby brother, but his life was still in danger until they got to a doctor. The fire had died down in the room, but the smoke was still in the air.<p>

Weakly, Hiro pointed to the fallen bookcase.

Holding his brother carefully to make sure not to move his injured arm, Tadashi walked quickly to the bookcase. Shocked, Tadashi found his aunt crushed under the heavy bookcase. Her legs were pinned under the heavy object.

"Aunt Cass!" Tadashi screamed his dear aunt's name as he struggled to lift the bookcase off of her.

"Tadashi…" she rasped, "you came…" Smiling, she looked at Tadashi as he struggled.

"Hang on, Aunt Cass," he hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm gonna get you out of here."

"Don't bother," she winced as the bookcase moved. "I'm pretty sure my legs are broken. Even if you manage to get this bookcase off, there's no way you can get both me and Hiro out safely."

Tears welled up in Tadashi's eyes. "I'm not leaving you!" he cried, "At least let me try!"

"No," Aunt Cass said firmly. "Take Hiro and leave. If you don't, he'll die." Tadashi knew his aunt was right. The child had breathed in who knows how much smoke and the injury on his shoulder had lost him a lot of blood.

"But I can't leave you…" Tadashi sobbed, falling to his knees.

Aunt Cass smiled sadly. "Sacrifices must be made in life, Tadashi, and I'm just one of them," she whispered, running a hand through her oldest nephew's hair. "Know that, I am so, so proud of you… both of you… and it was a true honor to be part of your lives." Tadashi flattened himself next to his aunt and gave her a hug, crying tears of sorrow into her shoulder.

"I love you, Aunt Cass." Tadashi mumbled into her shoulder.

"I love you, too, my little man… I love both of you, and I will _never_ stop loving you," Cass replied fiercely. "However, know this Tadashi…"

Her eyes widened in terror as she rasped out, "Be careful from now on. Watch your backs, and don't trust _anyone_ you don't know. Keep your brother safe! They are coming for you two!"

"Who is, Aunt Cass? Who's coming after us?"

Aunt Cass closed her eyes, exhaustion flooding over her. "I'm sorry, Tadashi… there's so much more I wanted to tell you two, like about your parents' deaths-" Another explosion shook the house. Falling debris started piling up in front of the door, the only exit. Eyes widening in fear, Aunt Cass yelled urgently, "Go! Take Hiro and get out of here!"

Flooded with grief, Tadashi gave his aunt another hug. "Last hug…" he sobbed.

Tears streamed out of his aunt's eyes as she wrapped her arms around both nephews. "Don't forget that I love you two, and I will _always_ be with you," she whispered into Tadashi's ear.

Nodding, Tadashi stood up and gave his aunt one last look before charging through the door. He made it through right as a beam fell and blocked the door, trapping his aunt in the burning room.

He quickly charged down the stairs, avoiding the fire as it reached out for him and his brother.

_I'm sorry, Aunt Cass…_

* * *

><p>Tadashi's friends waited in dread.<p>

"He should've been out by now…" Gogo muttered, pacing in worry. The rain had soaked all of them, but they were too scared to care.

"Come on, Tadashi… please come out soon…" Wasabi murmured, eyes never leaving the door Tadashi had entered. He was clutching onto the hat like a lifeline.

"That's it." Fred stood up. "I'm going in to get them."

"Freddie, no!" Honey Lemon grabbed his arm. "It's dangerous!"

"But they could be hurt! Or trapped! Or…" they all shuddered. Even though the words weren't spoken, they all knew what Fred was going to say. _Dead_.

"Well, then I'm coming with you!" Honey Lemon was shaking, terrified, but she stood up. She didn't want to lose her friends, but she wanted to help.

Just as Fred was about to say no, Wasabi jumped to his feet.

"Tadashi! It's Tadashi, guys!"

Their best friend came tearing out of the building with his little brother held tightly in his arms. Just as he exited, the building exploded again, blocking any and all entrances in.

The four friends quickly made their way over to Tadashi. He was coughing and having trouble breathing, along with a few burns here and there, but other than that he seemed fine.

"Thank god you're safe," Honey Lemon sighed, about to give Tadashi a hug, but she looked at Hiro's unconscious form and gasped. "Tadashi! Hiro is-"

"Yeah, I know Honey," he gasped between coughs.

"How'd the little guy get hurt so bad?" Wasabi asked as he grimaced at the open wound on the child's shoulder.

"No idea…" Tadashi broke into another coughing fit. Gogo took his arm and guided him to the ambulance they had been gathered around.

"Guys, I'm fine… Really…" His friends stared at him in disbelief. His voice sounded like he had just smoked ten packs of cigarettes and soot covered his entire face.

In his arms, his baby brother started to stir.

The rain continued to fall.

Hiro was starting to wake up. Wincing at the increasing pain in his shoulder, he blinked the ash out of his eyes to see Tadashi and his friends looking at him in concern. "Dashi?" he whispered. His voice, if possible, sounded worse, and just listening to him breathe made the college students wince in pain. His shoulder had stopped bleeding, but the skin around the wound was red and swelling, causing him pain from any small movement. He whimpered as his shoulder burned.

"Shh… I'm right here buddy, I promise." Tadashi held onto his baby brother's hand and stared deeply into his eyes.

The rest of the group felt their heart clench at the brotherly love that flowed through the Hamada brothers. Tears fell from their eyes at the very thought that Tadashi almost lost his only joy in the world.

"It's raining, Dashi…" the child whimpered. "Make it stop…" Tears fell from his face, making streaks across his soot stained face.

"It's ok, Hiro… block out the sound, buddy. Don't think about it."

"Where's Aunt Cass?"

The older students froze. They were curious as well, but they didn't want to interrupt the touching moment the brothers were sharing.

Tadashi swallowed, then immediately regretted it when he tasted nothing but ash. Before he could stop himself, tears began falling from his eyes.

Frowning at his crying brother, Hiro raised his hand and patted his soot stained cheek, wincing when the movement caused a jolt of pain to run down his opposite arm. "Where's Aunt Cass, _nii-chan_?" Hiro whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Tadashi hugged Hiro tightly, refusing to look up at his friends.

"She's gone buddy…"

His friends all gasped and he felt his baby brother freeze in his arms.

"What do you mean 'gone'… she was right there! With me! In the room…" Hiro blubbered, tears falling from his eyes. Hiro fell silent when he realized his brother was serious. His aunt was gone. Using his uninjured hand, he grabbed onto Tadashi's shirt and sobbed into his shoulder.

The rain continued falling, without a care in the world.

The Hamada brothers cried together under the rainy sky.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is so heart wrenchingly sad T^T<strong>

**I legitly almost cried writing this ;A;**

**Isn't that mystery man such a butt?! How dare he ruin their peaceful lives!**

**Please continue leaving comments, suggestions or questions in the review, and I'll answer or include it in the next chapter :3**


	7. Chapter 7: Fighting

**Sorry for that really depressing chapter ;A;**

**If you cried, just think of Baymax**

**"It's ok to cry" ;)**

**But I'm back with more cute brotherly love and overprotective Tadashi!~**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Fighting<p>

New dread filled Tadashi. His baby brother was still in the operation room, and no one was coming out. An occasional nurse would hurry in, but they would never come out to tell him what was going on.

He had refused to be treated until he knew Hiro was safe and healthy. However, after practically being wrestled down by a team of doctors and nurses, his wounds were treated and his face was cleaned. Not wanting to change into the hospital gowns, Tadashi wrapped layers of towels around himself to dry off the rainwater.

Dried off, Tadashi sat in the chair closest to the door of the operation room with his head down. He still had a blanket draped over his shoulders, but that was mostly because the nurses refused to let him near the operation room if he didn't have it. Hearing a rush of footsteps down the hall, he slowly lifted his head to see his friends rushing over to him. They had stayed behind to answer any questions the police might have had while Tadashi hurried Hiro to the hospital.

Either because of the shock or the blood loss, the child had fallen unconscious again after sobbing into Tadashi's shoulder. The first responders were too busy treating other people and the police were busy asking questions. If they waited any longer, then Tadashi's efforts to save Hiro would go to waste.

The rain and the explosion had caused a major traffic jam, making driving anywhere impossible. Luckily, a hospital was just a few blocks away from the house. Tadashi ended up carrying Hiro and running all the way to the hospital through the pouring rain. When he walked into the building with the unconscious child in his arms, he was soaked and dripping water everywhere.

It all happened so fast. At first, the doctors and nurses stared at him in confusion, but seeing Hiro and his shoulder, they all started scrambling for equipment. One nurse rushed over to the brothers and covered them up with blankets and towels.

"Lay him down on the stretcher!" a doctor ordered as he called for more nurses.

Tadashi gently placed Hiro into the stretcher, continuing to hold his hand. The child moved slightly, but remained unconscious. Hiro was deathly pale; he looked so fragile that Tadashi was afraid Hiro would shatter into a million pieces if someone were to so much as touch him.

They began wheeling Hiro away. A nurse tried to get Tadashi to sit down, but he refused to leave his little brother's side. Realizing that there was nothing that would get Tadashi away from Hiro, the nurse allowed him to stay, under the condition that he leaves when they take the injured child to get treated.

"Nurse, we need to get this child into the operation room, now!" a doctor yelled to be heard over all the commotion. Quickly, the nurses got to work. As per his promise, Tadashi was forced to stay behind and watch them wheel his little brother away.

"How's the little guy doing?" Fred whispered first. Gogo elbowed him lightly on the arm. She wanted to know as much as the rest of them did, but she was afraid of hearing the answer.

Tadashi sighed, eyes tired and worried. "No news yet…" he muttered, rubbing his neck in worry.

"He's young," Honey Lemon said softly, "His body is strong… I'm sure he's fighting, Tadashi."

A nurse walked over to the group of worried friends. She held out a clipboard and pen, requesting for Tadashi to fill out some forms. Taking the clipboard, Fred noticed bandages wrapped around his forearm. His curiosity caused him to mindlessly blurt out, "Hey, what happened to your arm?"

Staring at the bandages, Tadashi's gaze clouded over. Gogo elbowed Fred again, this time harder and right in the gut.

"Hiro lost a lot of blood… and the hospital ran out of his blood type last night… so…" his voice trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

His friends were silent. "Thank god you two have the same blood type," Honey Lemon murmured in a pathetic attempt to clear the depressed air surrounding them.

Before Tadashi could reply, a doctor walked out of the operating room, face looking solemn.

All of the college students stood up, but Tadashi was the only one that walked over to him. His friends watched with clenched hearts as Tadashi's face fell with whatever news he was receiving. The doctor put a hand on Tadashi's shoulder and said something else. A little hope returned to his eyes, and the older Hamada quickly nodded replied. Nodding, the doctor walked back into the operating room.

"What happened?" Wasabi asked when Tadashi got back. New worry filled his friends when they saw how dead he looked.

"Doctor said… wound might be infected, from being exposed to contaminated air and heat for so long…" Tadashi choked out, covering his face with his hands. He heard his friends gasp. Infection would undoubtedly cause Hiro a lot of pain, but it could also lead to his life being at risk if not cleaned immediately. "They're gonna stitch it shut," Tadashi whispered, "but with the wound possibly infected, the chances of it turning colonized will be more likely..." Running a hand through his usually neat hair, tears started falling from Tadashi's eyes again. A colonized wound would definitely kill someone as young as Hiro.

"Is that what the doctor told you just now?" Honey Lemon whispered. Tadashi nodded glumly.

"I told him… to do it. If they don't, he'll die from a contaminated wound… but if they do he could die from a colonized one… I had to try…" he sobbed. Anguish filled Tadashi's heart. Either way it was a possible lose-lose situation.

Tears were falling from his friends' eyes too. Even though they had just met Hiro the day before, they were all pulled into his adorable charms. The thought of losing him was painful, because it would not just be losing the child; they would lose Tadashi too. No one could picture Tadashi ever surviving without Hiro with him.

Gogo's mind was numb with grief and fury. Why did bad things have to happen to the best people? Without saying a word, she sat next to Tadashi and gave him a hug. He obviously needed one. Slowly, each of Tadashi's friends joined into the hug, until it was more of a dog pile than a group hug. Smiling at their effort to make him feel better, Tadashi wiped his tears away and took a deep breath. If his little brother was fighting in the operation room, then his big brother would fight with him.

* * *

><p>"Sir…"<p>

The figure behind the desk spun around and glared at his servant. "This better be good, Inoue," he growled threateningly.

"Our contact confirmed the death of Cass and Hiro Hamada, sir."

The figure snorted. "Why do you sound so happy? There's still one more!"

"We have an inside source as for the whereabouts of Tadashi Hamada, sir. Don't worry, our contact says with the younger one gone, the older brother will be begging us to kill him."

"'Don't worry' you say…" he hissed. "I _shouldn't_ be worrying, had you actually gotten the job right 4 years ago!"

The servant named Inoue flinched. Because of one little miscalculation, his employer had wasted 4 years of time and resources on finding the surviving Hamada's. "Excuse me for asking… sir… but why do you want the Hamada family gone?"

The figure shrugged and turned around to look out the window. "It's an old vendetta, you wouldn't understand," he growled. "The Hamada's have caused me a lot of trouble in the past, and I don't need them meddling with any more of my affairs!" He whipped around and glared at the servant. The poor man was from one of the few families that tried to stand up against his power. To teach them a lesson, he had the entire Inoue family wiped out, except for one. The one surviving member lived in constant agony everyday.

Originally, he wanted to do the same to the Hamada family and spare one of the children, but he decided it would be easier to just kill all of them.

Inoue's cell phone buzzed. Looking at the caller, he looked to his employer and said, "It is our contact, sir."

"Put him on," he grumbled. If _he_ was calling then something must've happened.

"It's me," a voice growled after Inoue put the caller on speaker. "There's a problem… the youngest one is still alive."

* * *

><p>Tadashi blinked rapidly, shaking his head to keep himself awake. He wanted to be up and ready for any news on Hiro. It was already late in the night; he and his friends had been in the hospital the whole day. Stretching, he stood up and looked at his friends. All of them had crashed and fallen asleep in the seats. It had been a long day for all of them.<p>

The door opened and the doctor and all the nurses that had walked in exited. Hope rising, Tadashi quickly walked over, looking at the doctor.

The doctor smiled kindly and placed a reassuring hand on Tadashi's shoulder. "Your brother will be fine. We waited a bit for the swelling to go down before we started the stitching process, which is why it took such a long time. We sure got lucky with the blood though… you two ended up being a match. That really saved your brother's life." Tadashi let out a relieved breath. He hadn't told his friend's, but truthfully, before today, he had no idea if his blood was a match with his brother. Then again, before today he never thought he would need to know.

"You're free to go see him," the doctor offered. We wheeled him to a clean room to make sure the wound doesn't get exposed to any more bacteria."

Tadashi felt as though his knees would go out in relief. Unable to speak, he nodded gratefully.

"Aya, would you mind taking Mr. Hamada to see his brother?" the doctor asked a nearby nurse. She nodded, smiled at Tadashi then gestured for him to follow her. Eager to see his baby brother, Tadashi almost tripped over his own feet. He managed to steady himself before he could make a fool out of himself.

They walked down the hall together and entered the elevator. The nurse named Aya pressed the third floor button and they began their ascent.

"You're such a caring big brother," she said quietly in the elevator.

Surprised, Tadashi grinned sheepishly. "Well, he's the only family I have… and I made it my duty to protect him."

Aya smiled kindly at him. "I used to have an older brother who was as caring as you were," she giggled.

The elevator door opened, and Tadashi had to force himself to stay still. His brain was telling his body to run down the hall and scream Hiro's name, but he knew there were other patients that were resting.

Aya led Tadashi down the hall then stopped in front of room 306. Dipping her head in a small bow, she opened the door, then walked away.

Tadashi poked his head into the room. It was all white. White bed, white sheets, white curtains, white everything. Even the chairs were white. Hiro's messy black hair stood out from the pure white room. The room was silent, except for the dripping of the IV and the beeping of the monitors. Softly closing the door behind him, Tadashi silently crept up to Hiro's bedside. The child looked peaceful in his sleep. The soot and grime had been cleaned from his face and bandages could be seen under his white hospital gown. His left arm was placed in a sling, most likely to keep him from moving his arm too much. An IV needle was placed into his right hand, along with the wires that hooked him up to the monitors. An oxygen mask covered his face. Tadashi could still hear his baby brother's voice rasping with each breath taken in. His skin was still pale, but a little color had returned. Quietly pulling up a chair, Tadashi sat next to his baby brother and waited. He wouldn't rush his little brother to wake up; obviously he was still tired from his battle.

Smiling, Tadashi reached across and placed a hand on Hiro's right hand, making sure not to disturb the needle and the wires. "Hey buddy…" he whispered. "Take your time waking up, okay? Just remember, that I'll be right here when you wake up."

Tears of joy started falling from his face, making dark patterns appear on the white sheets. Laughing quietly, Tadashi could almost feel Hiro's hand on his face, and his voice telling him not to cry.

"Good job, _otouto_… You won this fight. I am so proud of you…"

In his sleep, the corners of his mouth lifted up slightly, smiling at his victory against death.

* * *

><p>"WHAT?!" the figure bellowed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S STILL ALIVE?!"<p>

"You heard me clearly," the voice snapped. "The kid survived somehow. But I'm pretty sure I shot him…"

Muttering curse words under his breath, the figure slammed his hands against the mahogany table. Inoue winced as the floor shook with the table.

"I can try again… I'll get them both this time!" the voice hissed.

"Don't bother," the figure scoffed. "You couldn't even take down one kid, and you expect me to let you try again?"

The voice on the other end was silent, furious but too ashamed to say anything.

"Originally, I was just going to kill them and make it easy… but the Hamada brothers obviously have a stubborn will to live," the figure grumbled. "New plan," he announced. "Don't kill them. Bring them to me. Alive. I could use them…" a wicked smile crept over his face. "I'll make them wish they were never born in the Hamada family."

"Yes, sir…" the voice growled.

_Click_.

He disconnected.

* * *

><p>The owner of the voice was furious. He had watched the young Hamada fall mid run. He even walked over the child's corpse. And yet, both brothers were still alive.<p>

"I'll make you regret ever crossing paths with me…" the voice muttered darkly under his breath. After all, the orders were to bring them in _alive_. _Barely_ alive still counted…

* * *

><p><strong>Why do you guys think the bad guy is after the Hamada bros? O^O<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**

**Leave any comments, suggestions or questions so I can think of more things to write :3**

**HAMADA BROS MUST LIVE, NOT OK FOR THE TWO CUTIES TO DIE ;A;**


	8. Chapter 8: Awake

**Woohoo! Over 100 Followers! And it hasn't even been a week yet! :D**

**Thank you guys SO MUCH for reading my story!~**

**To show my appreciation, I'm giving you guys _TWO_ new chapters in a day :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Awake<p>

Tadashi woke to someone shaking his shoulder gently. Groggily, he lifted his head out of his arms. Somewhere in the middle of the night, he had fallen asleep while waiting for Hiro to wake up. He was still holding the child's right hand.

Looking up, he saw his friends surrounding him. Stretching as his back ached from leaning forward as he slept, Tadashi yawned and rubbed the last remaining traces of sleep out of his eyes. "Hey guys…" he murmured as another giant yawn cut off his sentence.

They all looked exhausted, but relief shined in their eyes. "Hiro looks like he's doing great," Honey spoke quietly.

"Little guy's a fighter, that's for sure," Fred crossed his arm triumphantly.

Gogo rolled her eyes at how ridiculous he was being, but she placed a hand on Tadashi's shoulder and smiled. She was happy Hiro was safe.

"Umm… Tadashi? I think the doctor wants to talk to you…" Wasabi looked to the door. They could see the doctor and Aya standing outside.

Standing up, he looked at Hiro in worry. More color had returned to his face, but he still looked like he could shatter at any given time. Gogo sighed in exasperation. "Oh, for crying out loud, Tadashi!" She threw her hands in the air. "He's fine, and he has us watching him. Besides, I doubt the room will blow up if you leave for a few minutes." The snappy Korean glared at Tadashi, her relief making her short temper.

Glancing apologetically at his friends, Tadashi looked down and muttered, "Sorry…"

Honey Lemon looked at him sympathetically. "It's ok, Tadashi… don't apologize. We get that you're worried about Hiro, but a few minutes away won't kill you… or him."

"No, it's my fault," Tadashi sighed. "Sorry for snapping at you guys earlier…" Smiling sheepishly at Gogo, he said, "Thanks for waking me up, Gogo."

The Korean woman nodded sharply, then sat down in the chair Tadashi was just in. Even if it was only for a few minutes, she was ready to put her life down to protect the child.

Quietly closing the door behind him, Tadashi turned and looked at the doctor. He was smiling, but he looked tired. "Well, Mr. Hamada," he began, "things are looking good for your brother. The only issue now is the smoke inhalation he suffered in the fire… We'll keep him here for a few weeks to make sure nothing else happens." Tadashi nodded, grateful the doctor had saved his little brother's life. "Now that you are his legal guardian, we need you to sign some forms of consent and we're good to go."

As Tadashi read the papers, his mind started buzzing. _Now that Aunt Cass is gone, it's just me and Hiro…_ It felt weird, being Hiro's legal guardian. Sure, he would always be there for Hiro, but the new responsibility sat on Tadashi's shoulders and pressed him down. His major fear was that he would fail to protect his baby brother, or that he would disappoint the child somehow. Signing the papers, he dipped his head in a polite bow as the doctor walked away.

"You'll do fine," Aya said softly, smiling reassuringly. "Hiro is a lucky boy to have such a protective older brother."

Tadashi sighed. "I hope so…"

Giving him another kind smile, she pulled out a bottle of pills. "These are to strengthen Hiro's immune system," she informed Tadashi. "We will be giving him these twice a day to make sure the wound doesn't get any worse."

"Speaking of the wound, do you know what caused it?" Tadashi asked.

Aya shook her head. "Unfortunately, only the doctor knows that, and he's busy treating other patients…"

"I understand," Tadashi sighed.

The nurse looked at him sympathetically. "Please call us when Hiro wakes up," and with that, she left.

Rubbing his neck, Tadashi walked back into the room to see his friends crowding around the bed.

"What happened, guys?" Tadashi asked cautiously, heart dropping in fear of hearing bad news.

Honey Lemon turned around excitedly. "It's Hiro! He's waking up!"

* * *

><p>"Well, Hiro, how do you feel?"<p>

The doctor had rushed over as soon and Fred came running out of the room, screaming, "HE'S ALIVE!"

He lifted one of Hiro's eyelids and shined a small light to see the child's retinal reactions. Flinching at the bright light, Hiro quickly grabbed for Tadashi's hand. Tadashi gently squeezed his little brother's hand reassuringly.

The first thing Tadashi had done when Hiro woke up was crush him in a big hug. Fred and Gogo had gone to notify the hospital staff and Honey Lemon was crying in the corner with Wasabi.

"…Dashi?" Hiro rasped when he woke up, eyes blurry.

"Hey, buddy… I'm here, don't worry, I'm here…" Tadashi murmured.

Before the child could respond, he broke into a coughing fit. Worried, Tadashi rubbed his hand reassuringly on the child's back, while turning his head to see if the doctor was there yet.

"Your readings look good," the doctor murmured as he flipped through Hiro's papers. "Make sure to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water, all right?" The child nodded. "And don't forget to eat these pills twice a day." Another nod. Smiling, the doctor looked at the college students that were surrounding the bed. "He'll be fine. Just suffering from the smoke. Symptoms will include coughing, drowsiness, and confusion. If he starts feeling nauseous, or if he starts vomiting, call us immediately. We'll inject some heparin and acetylcysteine into the IV later if those symptoms appear." The college students all nodded, then tipped their heads down in a small bow as he stood to leave.

"Wait, doctor!" Tadashi chased after the doctor as the started leaving the room.

"Yes, Mr. Hamada?"

"Can you tell me what caused my brother's shoulder to get injured like that?"

Looking around cautiously, the doctor leaned closer to Tadashi and whispered, "From what we could tell, it looked like a bullet wound."

Tadashi froze in anger. Someone tried to _shoot_ his little brother?

The doctor took the silence for worry, and reassuringly whispered, "Don't worry, it was just a graze. It didn't hit any major arteries, but it nicked one, which is why it bled so much."

Confusion clouded Tadashi's mind. Why would someone shoot Hiro? He was just a kid!

"I have the reports in my office," the doctor whispered. "I'll bring them to you after I check up on my other patients." Nodding gratefully, Tadashi slowly walked back into the room as the doctor left.

His friends were still standing around Hiro's bed, using their bodies as shields against the outside world. Gogo sat in the chair next to the bed, cooing and talking with the child. Everyone looked up when Tadashi walked back into the room.

"Hey, Tadashi!" Honey Lemon squeaked. "What did you need to talk to the doctor about?"

Tadashi was quiet, eyes staring at the floor. _Why would anyone try to hurt Hiro? Is that why our home exploded?_

"Dashi?..." Hiro coughed.

Head snapping up, Tadashi looked at Hiro seriously. The child was almost scared by how intense the older Hamada's gaze was. "Hiro, what happened in the fire?"

"Umm…" the young Hamada frowned, trying to remember. "I woke up, and it was really hot… Then I saw a shiny thing being pointed at me?..." his voice trailed off as the memories slowly came back. Fear appeared in his eyes and he looked as if he were trying to disappear into the pillows.

"Go on," Tadashi urged. He needed to know as many details as possible if he wanted to figure out what happened.

"Then Aunt Cass told me to run…" tears started falling from his eyes at the mention of his beloved aunt. "So I did, I really did, _nii-chan_!" the child whimpered.

"Shh, it's ok, Hiro… Tadashi, maybe you should stop," Gogo said sharply, glaring pointedly at her friend.

Ignoring her, Tadashi impatiently asked, "Yeah, and then what?"

Hiro looked genuinely cornered, like he was back in the burning room. With his uninjured arm, he grasped wildly at the sheets, trying to keep his head in the present. "T-then I ran… and a l-loud sound went off behind me… then m-my shoulder…" Hiro stopped speaking, too scared to continue.

"Don't worry, we're right here, Hiro," Honey Lemon whispered as she stared at Tadashi. What was he doing?! Why was he forcing his little brother to remember something so horrible?

"Did you see the face? The face of the guy holding the shiny thing." Tadashi pressed.

The child was breathing quickly, hand still clutching at the bed. He shook his head, tears falling from his face. "No… my shoulder…" he whimpered, eyes wide in terror.

Suddenly, the beeping of the machines spiked up to an alarming level. Hiro grabbed at his chest, struggling to breath. He was having a panic attack, and with his lungs not working properly, the child was fighting to get a breath in.

"Nurse!" Wasabi screamed. "We need help!"

Nurses quickly filed into the room, shooing the college students out of the room as the worked on calming Hiro down.

Tadashi was trying to collect his thoughts together when Gogo stomped over to him and punched his arm. Hard. "Ow!" he complained as he rubbed his newly bruised arm.

"Explain!" she hissed. "Now!"

Guilt washed over Tadashi. He couldn't believe how stupid he was! He could've killed his brother just by asking those questions. Then he would have nothing.

"Well, Hamada?" Gogo asked, arms crossed and still glaring at the guilt washed older brother.

"Oh my god, what did I just do?..." Tadashi whispered in horror.

"Focus, man!" Wasabi grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook as hard as he could. "We know you didn't mean it, but tell us why you did it to begin with!"

Shaking, Tadashi brought his friends in close. "I asked the doctor how Hiro got the wound, and he told me he was shot!"

Honey Lemon gasped. Everyone else looked horrified. Gogo looked like she was ready to get onto her bike and chase the person that injured Hiro to the end of the world to give him a good beating.

"Why was the little dude shot?" Fred wondered.

Tadashi shook his head. He wanted to know the same thing, but he wouldn't be able to find out until Hiro calmed down.

"I don't know… but before I left Aunt Cass," Tadashi said, trying to ignore the lump that was forming in his throat at the mention of her, "she told me people were going to come after me and Hiro. She told me to watch out, and to not trust _anyone_ I don't know."

"You can trust us, right?" Wasabi glanced at Tadashi nervously.

The older Hamada snorted. "Of course I can, you guys are my best friends!"

Looking relieved, his friends let out a long breath.

"Well there's only one thing we can do," Fred declared.

"Leave it to the police to find the guy that's going after them?" Wasabi offered.

Gogo rolled her eyes. "The police can't help them! They're clueless half the time anyways!"

"We need to go back to the scene of the crime and look for evidence!" Fred announced, pointing a finger dramatically into the air.

"And how do you expect us to do that, genius," Gogo scoffed. "Everything's probably burned up by now. Plus, all the entrances are blocked."

Fred shrugged. "We'll say we're going back to grab some stuff, and we'll snoop around a bit," he said mysteriously.

"That has got to be one of the most ridiculous things I have _ever_ heard," Tadashi sighed. "But I'm in."

Everyone was surprised, even Fred. They expected Tadashi to be the last person to agree to such a dumb idea.

"What?" Tadashi said defensively. "Well, there's nothing we can do now! Might as well go back as see if we can find anything that'll point us into the right direction."

"Uuuhh… Right!" Fred stammered. "Exactly my point!"

"Tadashi Hamada?" A nurse walked over to their makeshift group huddle.

Quickly turning around, Tadashi stood up straight and yelped, "Yep, that's me!"

Giving him a strange look, the nurse that called for him informed him that his brother was all right now. "It was just a panic attack, nothing to worry about." Tadashi let out a sigh of relief. "However, we did inject the heparin and acetylcysteine. He's sleeping again." Nodding gratefully, Tadashi and his friends all filed back into the room.

Hiro was still in the bed, but his breathing sounded raspier than before. Guilt gnawed at Tadashi's heart. He had pushed his baby brother too hard, and now he was unconscious again. _Mistake number one..._, he thought glumly, _and he's not even out of the hospital._

"I'll stay here and watch Hiro while you guys are gone," Wasabi offered. "I'll make sure nobody enters his room."

Nodding gratefully, Tadashi walked over to Hiro. Leaning over, he softly kissed the child's forehead. "Hey, _otouto_…" he whispered, "I'm sorry for being so stupid." Sighing, he held Hiro's hand to his heart and whispered, "I'll be _right back_, little brother. I promise."

Standing up, Tadashi watched as Wasabi sat in the chair next to the bed.

"You ready, Hamada?" Gogo asked, tone softer than usual.

Giving one last glance to his sleeping baby brother, Tadashi closed his eyes and tilted his head up. A few second later, he looked forward, determination burning in his brown gaze.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Hiro's awake! :)<strong>

**Now it's time for Tadashi to find the bad guys and beat them up for hurting his family...**

**Look forward to the next chapter, where they'll be "snooping around" what's left of his home**

**Again, thank you all SO MUCH for liking my story. Thanks for the positive reviews, and thanks for continuing to read this~**


	9. Chapter 9: No Way

**Finals are coming up~ To all those that have tests this coming week or next week, good luck!**

**It's important to study, but don't forget to take occasional breaks :)**

**Stretch, eat, read, sleep, do whatever you want! Just don't overwork yourselves xD**

**I'll be sure to update frequently as motivation haha~**

**Everyone else, I hope you're having a great weekend~ :)**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: No Way<p>

"Are you sure about this, Freddie?" Honey Lemon hissed, looking around nervously.

"Pshh," Fred scoffed. "Don't worry. I see this on TV shows _all_ the time."

The rest of the college students looked at Fred in shock as he strode confidently towards the burned building.

Police officers were scattered all over the streets, taking statements or directing traffic. Several ambulances full of paramedics were still caring for people injured in the blast.

"Excuse me, officer?" Fred tapped the shoulder of one of the officers guarding the entrance of the house. In the end, they had decided to wait for the fire to burn out itself, seeing as the hose did close to nothing.

"Move along, kid. It's dangerous here."

"Actually," Fred grabbed Tadashi's arm and dragged him forward. "This house is this dude's, and we just wanna grab a few things… y'know, like clothes and stuff."

The officer squinted at the four college students suspiciously. "Why do you need three other people?" he asked Tadashi.

"We're here to help him carry stuff back!" Honey Lemon squeaked. "And to take other stuff… that didn't burn up…" she finished lamely as the officer stared at her.

He hesitated for a second, unsure of what to do.

"He has a little brother dying in a hospital right now, so if you don't mind we'd like to get in soon," Gogo snapped.

Grimacing, the officer finally caved. "Fine!" He stepped aside and let them through. "Be careful, though," he warned. "There are piles of debris everywhere and there's still some smoke in the air. We managed to clear a path into the rooms, but watch your steps."

Nodding, the college students slowly walked in one by one. Just as Tadashi was prepared to enter, the officer put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey… umm…" the officer looked down solemnly. "The fire fighters went into the house after the fire burned out… and… sorry about your aunt."

Tadashi's throat tightened. "How was she?" he managed to choke out.

"They took her… body to start an autopsy… hopefully find the cause of the fire," he glanced at a nearby ambulance. "Do you want to see her before they take her away?" he asked quietly.

Every part of Tadashi wanted to run to the ambulance and say goodbye to his dear aunt one last time, but Hiro appeared in his mind. As much as he yearned to see his aunt, he had to hurry back to his little brother. With a clenched heart, Tadashi shook his head. He turned and quickly walked into the remains of his home.

* * *

><p>Wasabi flipped through the pages of his book. It was a very interesting theory on how to make the world germ and disease free. Just as he was about to begin the chapter on ridding the world of mosquitoes, Wasabi heard a small groan from the bed. Looking up, he felt relief flood over him as Hiro slowly opened his eyes.<p>

"Hey, little man! How you feeling?"

"Tired," Hiro rasped. "My throat hurts…" Careful to not bother the wires taped on his hand or the oxygen mask over his face, Hiro looked around. "Where's Tadashi?"

"Your brother and the rest of the gang went back home to grab a few things. Don't worry, they'll be right back!" Wasabi reassured the child as he saw fear creep back into his eyes.

Hiro sighed, then winced.

Worriedly, Wasabi asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen? What hurts?"

"I'm fine," Hiro answered. "My shoulder kinda hurts…"

"Want me to call a nurse over?" Wasabi offered.

Hiro shook his head fiercely. He didn't want to see anyone he didn't know right now. Turning his head so Wasabi couldn't see his face, he whispered. "Hey, Wasabi… Do you think my brother hates me?"

Shocked, Wasabi hurriedly replied, "Of course not! He loves you! Why would you ask something like that, Hiro? Is something wrong?"

"Does he blame me for not remembering the man's face?" the child said softly. "Or for not protecting Aunt Cass?" His voice broke as he mentioned her name. Wasabi couldn't see his face, but he could here the soft sniffles as tears undoubtedly fell from his eyes.

Wasabi was stunned. Everyday, he would hear Tadashi gush on and on about how proud he was of his little brother, and of how amazing he was even though he was so young. He would hear countless stories of things they did together when they were younger. Everyday it was a new story. By the time Wasabi and the rest of the group met Hiro for the first time, they already knew everything about him from Tadashi's stories alone. There was no way the older Hamada could _ever_ hate his little brother.

"Hiro," Wasabi said seriously, "Tadashi could _not_ be more proud of you. You're only 7 and you're a genius! And-"

"Genius…" Hiro muttered bitterly. Wasabi was taken back with how resentful the child sounded. "If I was such _genius_, then I would've thought of something! I could've protected Aunt Cass, and I would know who to look for!" Fury, grief and resentment burned in his brown eyes. Fury at the man that ruined his and his brother's lives, grief for his aunt, and resentment towards himself.

Wasabi wanted to say something to console the young child, but he couldn't. He sighed. It wasn't right. The kid was going through things that no one should ever have to go through, and the only person that could make him possibly feel better was busy digging around what was left of their home.

Hiro winced again, this time adding a hiss of pain.

"Whoa, little buddy, you all right the-" Wasabi's voice cut off as red started blossoming across Hiro's shoulder, soaking through the gown.

Thinking quickly, Wasabi quickly pressed the caller for a nurse and held onto Hiro's hand. The child's eyes were beginning to glaze over as more and more blood left his body. His breathing turned shallow and his other arm fell limp. Panicking, Wasabi turned and screamed, "Somebody help!"

* * *

><p>"I see nothing," Fred declared as the trudged up the stairs to the brother's room. Honey Lemon and Gogo had gone to collect all the photos that survived the merciless flames. Some were destroyed, but a majority only had a few burns across the corners. They had also gone into Aunt Cass's room to collect any of her things that didn't get reduced to ashes.<p>

"Let's keep looking," Tadashi sighed. Heart heavy, he pushed open the door of his room. Refusing to look at the spot Aunt Cass had bid her nephews farewell, he quickly scanned the room. The fire hadn't burned too much of the brother's room. The curtains were gone, allowing sunlight to stream into the dark room. Hiro's robot plushy had survived the flames, but a majority of his notes and sketches were gone. The computer they shared was trashed, but Tadashi had backed it up into his laptop the morning before the fire. Most of their clothes had survived too. Only the clothes that were in the hamper had burned up. Everything else was neatly tucked away in the drawers of the cabinet they shared. The posters that hung on the walls were also gone, but the robot clock managed to survive with just a few spots of burns. The paper screen that had separated their sides of the room had miraculously survived, despite it having an obvious weakness to the flames.

Smiling sadly, Tadashi picked up the robot plushy. Hiro had gotten it from Tadashi for his 5th birthday and the child had refused to sleep without it since. "Better start packing," Tadashi muttered. He pulled on the handle of the storage closet to pull out suitcases and bins to hold what was left of their lives.

Rolling his sleeves up, Fred began tossing the clothes in the drawers into the biggest suitcase. Realizing Tadashi wasn't helping, he stopped and looked at his friend. "Something wrong, dude?"

"The door." Tadashi whispered hoarsely. "The handle. It was gone when I got up here."

"Maybe the fire broke it off?" Fred offered.

Tadashi shook his head. In his mad rush to save his family, he hadn't paid any attention, but looking at it now, he could see the handle had clearly been ripped out. A gaping hole was left in the wood where it used to be.

"That is really weird…" Fred muttered, half to himself. Rubbing his chin, he looked around the hall outside. Spotting something glinting under a pile of debris, he pointed his finger in the air and dramatically yelled, "Aha!" Picking up the handle, Tadashi could see some weird dents pressed into the metal.

"What's that?" Tadashi muttered as he reached for the metal. Just then, his pocket vibrated. Checking the caller ID, he recognized Wasabi and hurriedly answered.

"Hey Wasabi, we're still in the house. How's Hiro?"

Tadashi felt his blood run cold when he heard his friend's panicking voice exclaim, "Dude, you have to get here _fast_!"

* * *

><p>Without a word, Tadashi ran down the stairs and charged out into the streets. The officer jumped at his sudden appearance, but Tadashi didn't care. He quickly ran for the direction of the hospital, Hiro's plushy still in hand.<p>

Barreling through the doors, he charged up the stairs to the third floor. Reaching room 306, he leaned against the doorframe, panting and trying to catch his breath. Looking up, he saw Wasabi and Hiro both staring at him. Hiro's oxygen mask was gone, and was instead replaced by a nasal cannula.

"You said..." Tadashi wheezed as he struggled to breath. "To get… here… fast…" Holding a hand up to tell them to give him a second, he bent down and continued to wheeze. He used one hand to hold onto his knee for support and the other to hold a cramp in his side.

"Pfft…" Tadashi heard a stifled giggle, and his heart warmed when he looked up and saw Hiro covering his face, trying not to show his laugh.

"Hehe… sorry, Tadashi…" Wasabi rubbed his neck, looking around awkwardly. "False alarm… Three stitches ripped from earlier and it started bleeding again. But the doctors got him all patched up again." Smiling at the child, Wasabi placed a hand in his unruly hair and ruffled it playfully.

Tadashi blinked. Hiro had obviously bonded with Wasabi in the short time they were together. He didn't even object to having his hair messed up. Sighing, Tadashi said, "I should call the others and explain why I left so suddenly." He shot his friend a quick glare, which was returned with a sheepish smile.

"Actually, I can do that," Wasabi offered. "You should catch up with Hiro."

Tadashi was confused with what happened next. Hiro shot a panicked look, not at him, but at Wasabi. Wasabi whispered something to Hiro, nodded at Tadashi, then walked out of the room.

It was silent in the room, other than the beeping and hissing from the machines. Awkwardly, Tadashi crossed the room and slowly sat down in the chair next to the bed. He pretended not to notice Hiro flinch away slightly.

The brothers sat, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. They could hear Wasabi trying to explain to the rest of their friends why Tadashi ran off so suddenly.

"Umm," Tadashi mumbled, trying to break the ice, "I brought this for you."

He placed the robot plushy next to Hiro, feeling actual pain when Hiro openly jerked away from Tadashi's hand, only to hiss in pain when his injured shoulder moved.

Tadashi sighed. Hiro must hate him for being such a jerk earlier. He didn't blame his little brother, but he wanted to at least apologize.

Just as he was about to speak, Hiro whispered, "Hey, Tadashi…" He hesitantly grabbed onto his toy and buried his face into it.

"Yeah, buddy?" Tadashi scooted the chair a little closer to the bed, happy when Hiro didn't move away.

Using his one good hand, Hiro started twisting the arms of the robot. He refused to look at Tadashi, keeping his eyes down the whole time. After a few seconds, Hiro whispered, "Do you… hate me?"

Tadashi gawked at his baby brother. The whole time he had been worried that Hiro would hate him, but now it was the other way around?

"Of course not! How could you come up with that idea?" Tadashi asked, stunned.

Hiro's bottom lip quivered as tears fell onto the sheets. "Because I didn't do anything to keep this from happening, because I didn't remember the man's face, because Aunt Cass…" As the list went on, more and more tears fell. At Aunt Cass's name, he stopped speaking completely.

Tadashi sat frozen in his seat. After Hiro stopped speaking, the room was silent again, this time with Hiro's quiet sniffs mixed in with the machine sounds.

Wordlessly, Tadashi leaned over and gently crushed his baby brother into his chest in a big embrace. Hiro's quiet sniffles turned into full-fledged sobbing as he cried into his brother's shirt. Tadashi gently pat Hiro's back as he cried, then whispered, "Hiro, there is _no way_ I could _ever_ hate you. Even if you do the most knuckleheaded thing. It's not your fault you can't remember his face, I pushed you too far last time… and I'm sorry. And what happened to Aunt Cass-" Hiro squeezed Tadashi's shirt and cried even harder at the mention of their aunt, "wasn't your fault either. She died protecting us, and that was her choice. She loves us, and she died loving us. We need to remember that."

"B-b-but," Hiro blubbered, "i-if I had r-ran faster, s-she wouldn't have had to…"

"Shh…" Tadashi shushed his little brother. "What's important is that we're still alive, and we will make sure of that, all right?" He kissed the top of Hiro's head lightly. He grabbed a tissue and helped Hiro wipe his face, smiling when the child tried to squirm away.

"Sorry I didn't see his face, Dashi…" Hiro murmured after his face was tear free.

Tadashi shrugged. "You had a gun pointed at your head. I wouldn't have been able to see anything else either."

"What if the man that hurt my shoulder comes back?" Hiro squeaked, pulling himself in to be as small as possible.

"I'll be here this time," Tadashi promised. "Don't forget," he huffed and flexed his biceps jokingly, "anyone that wants to get to you will have to get through _me_ first."

Hiro gave a shaky giggle, before he grabbed Tadashi's hand and whispered, "I love, you, _nii-chan_."

Tadashi swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat. He squeezed his little brother's hand carefully, then rustled his bed head. "I love you, too, _otouto_," he laughed as the child struggled to swat his hand away.

* * *

><p>"So what's the plan?" Wasabi asked. Mochi was rested in his lap. Somehow, the fat cat had survived the fire by hiding under Aunt Cass's bed. It took a little bit of work to get him out, but now he was sleeping contently, safe and sound. The rest of the group had packed up everything that survived the fire and brought it to the hospital while Tadashi watched his brother. It took several trips in Wasabi's small car, but they managed to get everything over in one piece. The hospital was gracious enough to allow them to temporarily leave everything in Hiro's room, until Tadashi could find a place to put it all.<p>

Tadashi sighed. "Now that I'm 18, I'm Hiro's legal guardian." Hiro had fallen asleep again, this time grasping Tadashi's hand tightly to make sure he wouldn't leave.

"Dude, that's so cool," Fred laughed. "You're like a dad, man."

Gogo kicked him, and as the blond student rubbed his shin in pain, she asked, "Well, where are you guys going to stay now? I mean, you can't really go back to the restaurant."

"Aunt Cass mentioned something about getting me and Hiro an apartment last time," Tadashi recalled. "I can call her lawyer and see if he has the details for it. Worse comes to worse, I can use my parent's money and rent a small place…"

"Whoa, your aunt got you a place already? Was she planning on kicking you guys out or something?" Fred joked, recovering from Gogo's kick.

Another kick. Well, that'll be a bruise…

"Ohh, I'm so happy that Hiro is feeling better now!" Honey Lemon gushed. They had all been able to talk to him for a while before he dozed off. Honey Lemon was especially happy, and Tadashi had to hold her back to make sure she didn't tackle him and open the wound again.

"Little guy had us worried for a bit," Wasabi sighed in relief.

"Doctors said he would have to stay here for a bit before they can let him go," Tadashi said. "I guess I'll go look for a place to live while he's here, so he can be comfortable when he leaves."

"We can take turns watching him," Gogo suggested. "Make sure that gun crazy maniac doesn't come back."

"Thanks, Gogo," Tadashi nodded gratefully. "I'll bring Baymax tomorrow so he can help too."

"That's right, Tadashi!" Honey Lemon grabbed her purse and quickly dug around inside. Pulling out a large envelope, she said, " I found this in your Aunts nightstand. Do you know what it is? It has your name on it."

Tadashi shook his head as he examined the envelope. "Never seen it before." Carefully opening it, he reached in and felt around. Surprised, he pulled out a small flash drive. It was simple, no longer than his pinky. Confused, Tadashi pulled out his laptop and plugged the flash drive into the USB slot. His friends gathered around as he single handedly worked his laptop (his other hand was still taken by Hiro).

The screen flashed, then turned on to reveal a green page. On the top of the page, _**Project New Life**_ was written in bold letters. Confused, Tadashi pressed the words. A bar appeared. Password.

Tadashi looked inside the envelope, expecting to see a slip of paper, _anything_, that had a password. Nothing.

Looking in the flash drive folder, he saw another folder labeled "Tadashi_Hiro."

Opening it, he found it was a huge folder of videos, and as he opened the first one he felt his throat close. It was his parents.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to all the people that have been leaving reviews~<strong>

**Again, for all your great suggestions, I'll work those into the story somehow... Maybe later in the plot? So look forward to that!**

**Leave reviews! I read all of them, I promise ;)**


	10. Chapter 10: Memories

**I'm back with more :)**

**Lots of fluffy brotherly love in this chapter it's so great x3**

**To make up for evilly making you guys endure depressing chapters haha~**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Memories<p>

Tadashi stared at the screen in shock. He's never seen these footages before. The date stamp revealed that it was shot several years before their deaths. His parents were wearing lab coats and safety goggles. Atsuki had her long hair tied up in a bun. Hiruto was staring intensely at a piece of machinery he was working with while Atsuki watched over his shoulder. Sparks flew as metal hit metal, metal shavings falling as pieces were chipped away.

"Is this really ok, Hiruto?" Atsuki whispered, as though she feared someone would hear.

"We have no choice," Hiruto replied through grit teeth. "He's got Tadashi and Hiro under surveillance, he'll kill them if we don't do this."

Atsuki whimpered at the thought of her babies in danger. Hiruto lifted the metal piece he had been working on up, eyes gleaming from exhaustion. "It's done."

Suddenly, the room darkened. The door burst open. Flinching, Atsuki looked towards the figure standing at the door. The light behind him cast shadows over his face, but Tadashi could tell he was a strong and burly man. He was tall, and a smoking cigar hung in his mouth.

"Well, Hiruto," he growled. "What do we have?"

"I finished the chip like you asked," Hiruto answered coldly. He flung the chip towards the person at the door.

He brought up one big hand and caught the chip without a problem. Tadashi was almost surprised he didn't break it. The figure chuckled evilly. "Finally, Project New Life can begin without a problem." Looking at the Hamada's, he purred, "I must thank you two, without you I would've never gotten my way."

Tadashi had never seen his parents more furious. Atsuki's eyes were blazing in rage. "We gave you what you wanted," she spat. "Now let go of our sons!"

"Not yet, dear Atsuki," the figure chuckled. "I still have use for you two, and I plan to take advantage of whatever I got." Seeing the camera, he quickly reached over and covered the lenses. "Turn that off!" he bellowed. The screen turned black.

The room was silent. Everyone stared at the black screen in surprise.

"Were those your parents?" Honey Lemon asked quietly.

Too shocked to speak, Tadashi nodded.

"Whoa, dude! Your parents were, like, _totally_ secret agents or something!" Fred bounced excitedly, until Gogo stepped on his foot. Then he was hopping, holding his injured toe.

"What did your parents do for a living anyways?" Wasabi wondered.

"Umm…" Tadashi frowned. For some reason, he couldn't think of it. Throughout his childhood, he and Hiro were always told that they were business people. Never had the thought occurred to him that they were lying. "I don't know…" he muttered, confused and dazed.

"Do you think the big guy is the one that did this to Hiro?" Gogo asked darkly, fury lighting in her eyes.

"Maybe…" Tadashi shook his head. "Sorry, guys… could you give me a minute?" He still couldn't wrap his head around what he just saw. Understanding, all his friends stood and slowly bustled out of the room, quietly closing the door behind them.

It was just Tadashi and Hiro in the room now. Hiro was still holding Tadashi's hand, refusing to let go. Smiling, Tadashi rested his chin in his palm as he stared at his baby brother's sleeping face. It was so full of innocence, so peaceful. Yet he would grow up with only an older brother in his life. No parents, because of some mystery man. Anger broke through Tadashi's confusion. Gently squeezing Hiro's hand, Tadashi closed his eyes and vowed he would find the one responsible for destroying their lives.

* * *

><p>"Your parents looked like really nice people," Fred mumbled through a mouthful of food. While Tadashi was thinking, his friends had gone to the food court and brought back armfuls of food. They were having a makeshift picnic across Hiro's bed, seeing that the child was still holding onto Tadashi's hand. Tadashi was taking small bites out of a sandwich. Gogo was slurping a soda, Wasabi was crunching on an apple and Honey Lemon was sipping a cup of tea. Fred was eating everything within reach.<p>

"They were," Tadashi recalled fondly. "I got more memories with them than Hiro did… they were great parents. Always away, but they always kept their promises." Looking at his hat, which was resting in his lap, he smiled. "I remember dad promised he would take me to my first baseball game when I was 7, but he was always gone and never had time. But he never broke his promise. Took me for my 9th birthday." Happiness swelled inside Tadashi like a balloon when he remembered that day. It was crowded, and all the people sitting in front of Tadashi were blocking his view. Noticing his son's struggle, Hiruto Hamada lifted Tadashi onto his shoulders to get a better view. It was a great sensation. He could see the whole field, lit up and stretched out before him. After the game ended, his dad took him to the souvenir store to look at the things. Tadashi immediately took a liking to a baseball cap several sizes too large for him.

He remembered his dad laughing and saying, "Let's see how long it'll take for you to grow into this, buddy." Then Hiro was born the next year.

"They sure looked mad at that mystery guy though," Wasabi said, remembering their expressions.

"Yeah, I've never seen them that mad before…" Tadashi pondered, half to himself. "Even that one time I left Hiro in the park alone…"

"Wait," Gogo looked at Tadashi with wide, disbelieving eyes. "You left Hiro _alone_ at a _park_?"

"Ohh, story time! Story time!" Fred leaned back against his chair, ready for Tadashi to continue.

Tadashi sighed. "Well, when I was a kid, I didn't really like Hiro. I remember all my friends at school would complain about having younger siblings, and I didn't want to deal with the same thing. One winter, I was going to the park to meet some friends, and my mom made me take Hiro too. I really didn't want to, but she said she would ground me if I didn't. So I took Hiro with me, and my friends weren't happy when I greeted them with my little brother behind me…"

"How old were you guys?" Honey Lemon gasped.

"I was… 11, I think?" Tadashi said, scratching his head trying to remember. "Hiro just turned 1… Anyways, for the rest of the day, we were trying to find ways to ditch him… Now that I think about it, those guys were jerks. They kept telling me to tell him to leave us alone. They knew that whatever I told Hiro to do, he would listen. Finally, we got so tired of him tagging along, I told him to sit still on a park bench and not move. I told him if he listened, I would play with him that night."

Tadashi couldn't hold back a grimace as he thought of all the things he did when he was younger. His friends looked shocked at how cold hearted the younger Tadashi was.

"So, we spent the rest of the day walking around town, hanging out at arcades, running around at grocery markets, eating sweets…"

"I got home pretty late. I tried sneaking in quietly, but my mom caught me. But then," Tadashi swallowed. "She asked me where Hiro was."

"Oh no…" Wasabi groaned, slapping a hand to his face. "You didn't…"

Tadashi smiled sheepishly, feeling guilt boiling in his stomach. "I forgot about Hiro. My mom was super pissed, she yelled at me to go find him while she called my dad. So I ran back to the park." He sighed, then took a deep breath.

"The dummy hadn't moved an inch from when I left him. He listened to me and stayed on the bench for the _whole day_. When I found him, he was shivering and freezing, but he still didn't move. When he saw me," Tadashi swallowed, the guilt eating away at his words, "he smiled and said, 'Now you'll play with me tonight, right, Dashi?'"

His friends were glaring daggers at him. Obviously, they didn't like the younger Tadashi very much.

"I carried Hiro home after that. He was way too cold to move properly." Rubbing his neck nervously, Tadashi laughed. "After we got home, my mom almost screamed her voice out when she saw Hiro. He had a really high fever for a few weeks, and he couldn't move his arms and legs that well."

"Of course, my parents punished me… My punishment was I had to take care of Hiro while he was sick. Everyday after school for almost a month, it was go home and take care of Hiro. I had to make sure he ate his medicine, make sure he did the proper muscle exercises, keep him entertained, feed him, rub his back if he threw up… I guess that's how I got to be so overprotective…" Tadashi mused. "I was with him almost every second of the day for almost a month, and he obviously didn't blame me, heck the kid _loved_ me to death. After that experience, I became a new person. I stopped hanging out with the people that told me to leave my baby brother behind. I found a new crowd to be with, and I made sure to spend time with Hiro everyday too."

"Aww…" Honey Lemon cooed. "That's the cutest thing I've ever heard! Well, except for when you left a one year old baby alone for a whole day…"

Tadashi grimaced. "To this day, I can't forgive myself for doing that," he mumbled. Just thinking about it now made him nauseous. Any stranger could've kidnapped him, or he could've been killed. But younger Tadashi had been too narrow minded to think of those things.

"Cheer up, Hamada," Gogo lightly thumped his back. "What's important is that you're here now. With him. And the kid still loves you to death." She looked at his hand as proof.

"Yeah," Tadashi laughed, "and unlike before, I love him right back."

"But, dang…" Wasabi glanced at Hiro in amazement. "Kid could talk when he was one? That's pretty early…"

"Hiro spoke his first words when he was… 5 months old? First steps at 2 months," Tadashi said proudly. "He was reading first grade level books at 7 months, saying full sentences at 8 months, able to understand and hold full conversations at 14 months, doing basic mathematics at 16 months-"

"O-kay, we get it, dude," Fred groaned. Wasabi had broken a dam.

* * *

><p>The next few days were busy. While Tadashi dug through his aunt's things to find information on the apartment she had gotten for them, he had to balance it out with visiting Hiro as well. He was taking a temporary break from classes. His professors understood, and would email him any assignment that needed to be done. Quite truthfully, they weren't worried; they all knew how smart Tadashi Hamada was. His friends would also visit Hiro after their classes were over. With the knowledge that his friends were watching his baby brother, Tadashi could leave and keep looking for the apartment.<p>

Tadashi also kept Baymax in Hiro's room. It was the first time he introduced the healthcare robot to his baby brother. As soon as Baymax inflated out of his case, Hiro loved him immediately. The child would giggle and call the healthcare companion "marshmallow man." Baymax also took care of Hiro while Tadashi was away. The robot would make sure Hiro was comfortable and made sure to pester nurses to do the correct medical procedures. The hospital had given up on arguing with the robot after one nurse almost fed Hiro peanuts. Baymax had stopped her before she could get the food near him.

Baymax also became attached to Mochi, or as he would call it, the "hairy baby." The fat cat stayed in the hospital with Hiro, finding it more comfortable to lounge around than to walk around with Tadashi.

Tadashi made sure to visit everyday, especially around noon and nighttime, when Hiro needed to take his medications. The child was as stubborn as ever, refusing to eat any form of medicine. Only Tadashi could coax him into swallowing the pills each day.

One day, while Tadashi was trying to get Hiro to eat the pills, he was caught off guard when Hiro looked at him and asked, "Is it true you didn't like me when we were little?"

Astonished, Tadashi stared back in surprise. "Who told you that?"

Hiro shrugged one shoulder, then looked down.

"You were awake, weren't you," Tadashi squinted at his little brother accusingly.

"I woke up and I heard my name, and I wanted to hear what was going on," the child said defensively.

Tadashi groaned. Normal children would wake up. Normal children wouldn't care if the adults stopped talking afterwards. _Why does my brother have to be so darn smart?_

"Is it true?" Hiro asked again, eyes wide.

"Yeah, it's true," Tadashi sighed. "You were the most annoying, trouble seeking bonehead growing up, you know that?"

"Was not!" Hiro huffed, pushing his lips out into a cute pout.

"There was that one time you saw all the kids riding bikes, and you wanted to try it too," Tadashi listed off.

"It looked fun!"

"You were three, Hiro. The rest of the kids were two or three years older than you."

The problem with having a genius baby brother: he thought he could do things older kids could do. Hiro was enrolled into kindergarten at age 3, while the rest of the kids were 5 or 6, normal kindergarten age. Several of his playmates learned how to ride a bike without training wheels one weekend. Seeing them through the window, Hiro pestered Tadashi to teach him how to ride one too. But Hiro was still only three, even if his brain wasn't.

Tadashi remembered taking Hiro to the park. The child was bouncing in excitement. However, before Tadashi even let him onto the bike, he had Hiro strapped up with wrist guards, kneepads, elbow pads and a helmet equipped with a chin guard. Tadashi remembered how ridiculous the child looked. He looked like he was drowning in biking equipment.

"Alright, you ready, buddy?" Tadashi had said. Hiro nodded excitedly, hands gripped tightly onto the handles. Tadashi slowly walked the bike into a forward motion while Hiro struggled to pedal.

"Let go, Dashi!" the child had insisted after a few minutes. So he did. Big mistake.

Hiro went straight at a tree. That was the marker for a steep hill. Before Tadashi could catch him, Hiro and the bike both crashed against the hard bark. The child fell and tumbled in the grass with the bike tumbling after him. Tadashi chased after his brother and the bike, worried when he reached the bottom and saw Hiro wasn't moving.

"Hiro?" he had asked worriedly. As soon as he touched him, Hiro jumped up and started crying. The damage done included bruises all over his body, one nasty cut across his cheek and a hurt ego. The cut, thankfully, didn't leave a scar, but Tadashi forced Hiro to wait a few more years before attempting bike riding again. By the time he was 5, he was the only third grader that didn't know how to ride a bike.

"Then there was that time you ate a peanut for a dare, even though you knew you were allergic."

Hiro looked down and mumbled something unintelligible. Tadashi caught the words "dollar" and "gummy bears."

Some kid in Hiro's third grade class told the child genius that if he ate a peanut, he would give him a dollar and a bag of gummy bears. Hiro was only 5 and didn't know any better, thinking it was a fair trade. The kid was mainly doing it for a good laugh. What he wasn't expecting was to see Hiro fall to the floor, clawing at his own throat and struggling to breath. Tadashi, luckily, was looking for Hiro and managed to stab the epipen into the child's arm before he suffocated. The older Hamada gave the kid hell for almost causing his younger brother to die. It had only been a year since the death of their parents, and he wasn't ready to lose Hiro, too. Tadashi harshly scolded the kid until he was in tears. After making sure the kid promised to never do anything so stupid again, Tadashi carried Hiro carefully back to the truck, where Aunt Cass was waiting. Of course, she freaked out and fussed over Hiro the whole ride, but by the time they got back home, he was back on his feet and racing Tadashi to the door again.

"And don't even get me _started_ on that time we went to the pool-"

"Okay, I get it!" Hiro said loudly. He frowned as Tadashi laughed at his pouting baby brother.

"But," Tadashi said as he ruffled Hiro's hair, "you were still the best _otouto_ in the world."

Hiro smiled, not even fussing over his hair being touched. "Thanks, _nii-chan_," he said as he grinned a gapped tooth grin.

"Don't think this gets you out of eating this pill, Hiro."

"Darn…"

* * *

><p><strong>What do you guys think, cute or what? xD<strong>

**Thanks for all the great reviews! Please continue to support this story~**

**Whoever has any test coming up, good luck! You gotz this! Hwaiting~**

**Please leave reviews so I can see what I'm getting right or wrong :3**


	11. Chapter 11: Good to Go

**Apologies if I didn't get the epipen use correct O^O no allergies haha...**

**So I was told that there might be a blackout anytime soon in this storm, but so far we're still good**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Good to Go<p>

"Well, Mr. Hamada, it's been a while, but I think Hiro is well enough to go home tomorrow," the doctor told Tadashi happily.

Tadashi let out a breath of relief. It had been almost three weeks now. He would watch nervously at every test and treatment the doctors did on his baby brother. While he still felt nauseous every so often, Hiro no longer needed any machinery to help him breath. His arm was still in a sling and it would probably stay there for at least another month or two.

"Thank you, doctor… That has to be the best thing I've heard in a while…" Tadashi said. Which was true. After weeks of coming to the hospital and watching his little brother struggle to breathe while confined in a bed, the doctor's news was the greatest thing he's heard since Hiro woke up.

The doctor nodded at Tadashi and turned to leave. Quickly, Tadashi called out, "Wait! Doctor!" Glancing around quickly, he lowered his voice and asked, "Do you have Hiro's files?"

For a flash, the doctor looked nervous and scared, but it was gone as quickly as it was seen. Tadashi convinced himself that he had imagined it.

"Unfortunately, Hiro's files were taken by the police to help them piece together what happened at your home."

"Don't you have a computer copy or something?" Tadashi asked exasperatedly, desperate to find out what happened to his little brother in the fire.

"Sorry… but I was never one for technology," the doctor said sheepishly. "I'll give them to you when the police return them," he offered before walking away.

Groaning in frustration, Tadashi turned and walked back to Hiro's room. Aya was trying to convince the child to take his medicine for the day. Although Hiro's lungs had healed enough to not need machine help to breathe, not all the damage had been fixed. The child had relapsed into asthmatic symptoms, similar to when he was younger. As a toddler, Hiro was very prone to asthma attacks, and Tadashi would always make sure to carry around extra inhalers. The younger Hamada wasn't happy about going back into using the cursed device.

"Here, I'll do it," Tadashi sighed as he reached out to take the pills and the inhaler. Glancing at him gratefully, Aya handed Tadashi the treatments then left the room.

Taking Aya's former position next to Hiro, Tadashi shook the bottle of pills and gave Hiro a "you-know-what-to-do" look. Hiro replied by sticking out his tongue and turning his head with an angry huff.

"Come on, Hiro," Tadashi sighed. "You're _so close_ to leaving the hospital, but if you don't take your medicine, they'll keep you here longer."

That got his attention. Snapping his head back, Hiro's eyes widened when he asked "How much longer?"

"_Months_," Tadashi lied. Well, he had to get his brother to take his medicine _somehow_.

"Ugh, fine!" Hiro grabbed the bottle and shook out two pills. Tadashi handed him a cup of water as he threw the medicine into his mouth.

Being the drama queen that he was, Hiro gave a visible shudder as the pills slowly slid down his dry throat. Tadashi snickered as Hiro made a face, showing his obvious disgust for his medicine.

"Next," Tadashi held up the small red inhaler. Since one of Hiro's arms was in a sling, and the other was strapped down with wires and cords, Tadashi had to help his brother with this process. He carefully placed the opening in Hiro's mouth and pressed down, allowing the flow of aerosol medication. Hiro gave a small sigh of relief as the medicine did the work and helped him breathe. He plopped back into the big white pillows and closed his eyes.

"I hate medicine…" Hiro muttered.

"They're good for you," Tadashi said as he capped the medicine bottles. "Here, drink more water."

Hiro shook his head when Tadashi handed him a bottle. Raising an eyebrow, Tadashi asked, "How much water have you had today?"

Refusing to look into his brother's eyes, Hiro tried to change the topic. "So how's everyone doing in school?"

"Hiro," Tadashi said with a slight warning in his voice. "You know the doctor said to drink at least 8 cups a day."

"Dashi, I doubt _you_ even drink that much per day," Hiro scoffed.

"Well, _I'm_ not the one in a hospital bed right now," Tadashi retorted. "You know if you drink water, the pills would go down faster, right?" Tadashi stared hard at his baby brother. Was it his imagination, or had the kid lost weight too? Hiro was already slim to begin with, but now he looked scrawny and frail. "Have you been eating?"

Hiro looked down, refusing to speak. That only confirmed Tadashi's suspicions.

"Hiro," Tadashi groaned, "have you been starving yourself?!"

"Not on purpose!" Hiro shot back, glaring at his brother. "The food here is yucky!" The child sniffed and tears welled up in his eyes. "I want Aunt Cass's food."

Tadashi felt his heart clench. Tadashi had been busy for the past few weeks, looking for the apartment Aunt Cass had told him about. Luckily, around the second week, he finally found it. It was a small place, cozy, and heart breakingly similar to their old house. It was two floored, with a small kitchen and living room on the first floor. The second room had the bedrooms, one big room and one small one. However, as Tadashi and his friends moved everything into their new home, they decided to have the brothers share rooms again. Tadashi could already tell that Hiro was not going to get any good night sleep for a while, and with the amount of time Hiro has snuck into his bed, they might as well just keep sharing rooms. The paper screen that survived was placed just in case they needed to use it. The smaller room became used as a storage room. His friends helped him unpack and make the empty apartment look welcoming. They hung the pictures that survived on the walls, went on runs to buy anything that was missing and even stocked the fridge full of food. Tadashi tried to make their room look like their old room. He had to buy another computer, but he hung up the robot clock and taped posters and pictures on the walls. By the time they were done with the place, it felt friendly and homey.

While he was working, Tadashi didn't have time to think of Aunt Cass.

But Hiro did. He had all the time in the world, being stuck in a bed all day with nothing to do but stare at a wall. Baymax would give him hugs and Mochi would jump into his lap, but that didn't make him feel better. That actually just made him miss her more.

Tadashi looked at his brother, unsure of what to say. Hiro just stared at his robot plushy, as though he expected it to start speaking, tears still falling from his big brown eyes. Sighing, Tadashi said quietly, "I'm sorry, Hiro… but she's gone. She's with mom and dad now, and they're all watching us together."

Hiro glared at his brother. Tadashi tried not to flinch from the fury he saw in the child's gaze. "I know that!" Hiro snapped. "I know she's gone, Tadashi! You don't have to sugar coat everything for me, I'm not a baby!"

"Yeah you are, bonehead," Tadashi gently placed a hand in Hiro's hair and messed it up, ignoring his dark mumbles. Weeks of exhaustion and worry were getting to him. Usually, he would be lecturing Hiro about attitude, but he was too relieved to bother. "You're my baby brother," he cooed as he brought Hiro into a big hug.

"Get off, Tadashi," Hiro grumbled, pushing against his brother's big build. Why did he have to be so. Darn. BIG.

"I'm sorry you're frustrated that you couldn't help her," he muttered, ignoring Hiro's weak attempts of escape. Hiro stopped struggling when Tadashi spoke, shocked. "I'm sorry all this stuff had to happen so soon," Tadashi continued. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Hiro sniffed, guilt gnawing at his stomach, both for Aunt Cass and for lashing out at his brother. "It's just… if I had been faster… or if I hadn't gotten sick… none of this might've happened..."

"It's not your fault, Hiro," Tadashi grabbed a tissue and wiped his brother's tear streaked face. "What happened happened, and it's all in the past now. I know you miss her… I do too, believe me. But right now we just need to focus on staying alive. We'll figure out what happened when you get better, but to do that you need to eat and drink. Can you do that for me buddy?"

Hiro sniffed, then nodded. "But the food tastes gross, it all looks the same…" he complained.

"Well," Tadashi stood and messed up Hiro's hair again, earning him a smack from the child, "as a reward for taking your medicine everyday, doc says you're good to go.

Hiro's eyes widened in excitement. "Really?" he gasped. "I can leave?"

"Yup," Tadashi nodded. "But you have to eat tonight, or I'll tell them to keep you here one more day," he threatened.

Hiro nodded eagerly, too excited to care about the gross food. "Yay! I can get out of this boring place!" he cheered.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tadashi sighed. Glancing at his watch (2:34), he stood up and patted his brother's head. "Gotta go, buddy… Wasabi should be here in a few minutes. I'll be back before 5." He stooped down and kissed Hiro's forehead, much to the younger Hamada's embarrassment. Grumbling, the child wiped the place Tadashi had kissed with the back of his right hand while the older Hamada laughed.

As Tadashi turned to leave, a small hand grabbed onto the back of his cardigan. "Umm… Dashi?"

"What's up buddy?"

Hiro looked down guiltily. "Sorry for being mean… I didn't mean it. I'm just mad that I can't do anything right now but lay useless in bed…"

Tadashi swallowed. Hiro was too young to have to feel obligated to do anything. Part of Tadashi wanted to run out and hunt down the man that shattered his life, but another part wanted to stay with Hiro and fix what remained of their family. "This isn't something you should be worried about," Tadashi replied quietly as he turned to look at his brother. "All I want right now is for you to get better, got it bonehead?"

"I guess…" Hiro sighed. He still looked troubled and unsatisfied.

Frowning, Tadashi quickly stooped down and gave Hiro another crushing hug. Hiro squeaked in surprise at Tadashi's sudden attack. "Cheer up, little brother! Just think, by this time tomorrow, you'll be lying useless in bed at _home_," he joked.

Hiro glared at his brother, but he knew Tadashi was just trying to make him feel better.

A small knock sounded at the door. Surprised, Hiro quickly shoved at Tadashi's chest, embarrassed at being caught while his brother was babying him. Snickering, Tadashi let go and turned to see Wasabi at the door. "Hey, Wasabi. Think you can handle this guy for a few hours?"

"I'll do my best," Wasabi chuckled.

Giving his little brother one last hair ruffle and earning another (missed) swat at his hand, Tadashi started to leave. As he walked by Wasabi, his friend whispered, "Gogo and Honey Lemon are buying some more decorations, think you can manage by yourself for a while?"

Ever so slightly, Tadashi nodded. As he walked towards the elevator, he heard Wasabi say, "Ok, little man! Let's talk lasers!"

* * *

><p>Tadashi climbed onto his moped while fishing around his pockets for the keys. The new apartment was only a few blocks from the hospital, and he easily could walk there, but he needed to get back fast.<p>

Fred had asked Tadashi if he and Hiro wanted to stay with him in his family mansion. There were plenty of rooms, and the security would be top-notched. However, Tadashi had turned down his friend's suggestion. He didn't want to impose in Fred's life. Also, he doubted Hiro would feel comfortable to be living under such a strange roof, with Fred and his crazy antics.

As much as Tadashi knew living in a mansion was a dream come true, he couldn't imagine himself living in one. True, his parent's incomes were always above average, but they made sure to only stay in a house that was comfortable. Most of the homes the Hamada's lived in were regular houses, and although they weren't huge, they were comfortable.

"Just because it looks nice, doesn't mean it is, Tadashi," his mother would tell him when he was younger. "We don't need a big house to show we are happy."

Finding his keys, he quickly started the moped and started heading to his new home. The storm clouds were looking really ominous…

* * *

><p>Walking down the hallway, the figure looked around nervously as it grinded its teeth together. It had made sure to leave a voicemail for the doctor, telling him if he disclosed the younger Hamada's files, his family would feel the consequences. That had been enough to shut that stupid man's mouth. Just as an extra precaution, the figure had snuck into his office and burned the only existing file.<p>

As it passed the younger Hamada's room, it couldn't help but glare at the door. Why was this kid still alive? The mere shock of being shot should've killed him. Was it because he was a child genius? Did his intelligence help him out of the shock?

As it passed the door, the African American man in the room with the child called out, "Excuse me? Could we get another pitcher of water? We're out…" The child was wheezing, still recovering from the fire.

With the kindest voice it could muster, the figure replied, "Sure thing! I'll get someone to bring it to you immediately." One well placed smile, a little bow, then it walked away. As it left, it heard the man say, "Don't worry buddy, you'll be outta here tomorrow. Then Tadashi will be with you."

_What? He's leaving?_ As soon as the figure was out of earshot, it walked into a corner and pulled out a cellphone. Quickly dialing a number, it covered the mouthpiece and whispered, "Sir, it's me… the kid is leaving tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Which color do you think he'll like more?" Honey Lemon asked, holding up two options and head tipped to the side in deep thought.<p>

Gogo looked at the two colors she was holding up. "Purple," she said with a pop of her bubble gum.

"Hmm…" staring hard at the purple, Honey Lemon nodded and practically threw the other color back. "Tadashi should be home by now, wanna text him?"

"Sure," Gogo pulled out her phone. "Might as well ask what else he needs, too…"

* * *

><p>Tadashi unlocked the door of his new home. Flicking on the lights, he dragged his tired feet to the couch. Collapsing into the soft cushions, he buried his face into a plush pillow, picked out courtesy of Honey Lemon. Most of the preparations were done, and most of the stuff they needed was being bought right now. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw Gogo had messaged him.<p>

_Hey Hamada, what's to eat?_

Thinking for a second, he replied:

_Gotta make sure Hiro eats tonight… wanna have another picnic?_ Send.

A second passed before his phone buzzed again.

_Sure, we'll grab pizza._

Lying back, he sighed and closed his eyes. Exhaustion clouded his mind as he thought of everything Hiro had told him today.

"_I want Aunt Cass's food_" echoed through his head. Now that Tadashi was alone and not busy, the pain of losing his aunt crashed down on him. Looking at the pictures that hung on the wall, he felt his stomach drop as each picture of Aunt Cass smiled back at him.

Swallowing, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Aunt Cass… I'm erasing the after images that are floating around, burning the remaining memories up to the sky. I miss you, and I love you, but Hiro needs me now. I can't have one foot stuck in depression while the other is trying to juggle life. I don't want to ruin myself any more with these memories that aren't ending even though it's over. I'll never forget what you did for me and Hiro, but I need to move on. For him. Please understand… please…" A single tear fell from the older Hamada's eyes. He promised himself that this would be the last tear he shed for his aunt.

* * *

><p>"Hey, buddy, I'm back!" Tadashi opened the door of the room with Gogo, Honey Lemon and Fred right behind him. Fred was busy balancing five boxes of pizza and paper plates in one arm, while Gogo and Honey Lemon were carrying soda and cups. They had gone back to the house, dropped off the things they bought and picked up Tadashi. Fred had met them in front of the hospital with pizza boxes in hand.<p>

Hiro gasped and smiled his gapped tooth grin when he saw the pizza boxes. "Pizza!"

"Yup! And we got a _bunch_ of different toppings, so you better help us eat it all," Tadashi said sternly as he ruffled the younger Hamada's hair.

Not even taking his hair into thought, Hiro's eyes looked hungrily at the pizza boxes as they were set done before him. A small growl escaped his stomach, much to the older students' amusement.

"Which do you want little man?" Fred asked as he pulled out a plate. Before he could list the pizzas they had, Hiro said quickly, " Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and mushroom."

Surprised, as he gave the child his pizza, he turned and looked at Tadashi. "Dang, man, you were spot on with which toppings he would want."

Tadashi shrugged. "He's always liked these toppings, ever since he had it for the first time." He smiled as his little brother ravenously bit at the giant slices. At least he was finally eating now. "Slow down, Hiro. The pizza's not going anywhere." Tadashi poured him a cup of soda, which was half drained as soon as the younger Hamada took the cup.

"Someone's hungry," Honey Lemon giggled as she took a bite out of her cheese pizza.

"Don't forget to breathe between bites, kid," Gogo said as she bit into her pepperoni slice.

"Was he hard to handle while I was gone?" Tadashi asked Wasabi as he took a slice of pizza for himself. Wasabi was already working on a veggie pizza slice, and he shook his head at Tadashi's question.

"Kid was an angel," Wasabi said. "No problem whatsoever. We had a small issue when we ran out of water, but a nurse came by and refilled the pitcher." He tilted his head towards the half empty glass pitcher. "Took your words to heart though, drank half the pitcher as soon as she refilled it."

"Good," Tadashi sighed in relief. "Can I borrow your car tomorrow? So I can pick him up when they finally let him out."

"Sure thing, man. I'll just get a ride from Fred."

"Thanks," Tadashi smiled gratefully before turning to look at his little brother and burst out laughing. Hiro had tomato sauce all over his face and even some on his nose. "How'd you get sauce on your nose, bonehead?" Tadashi asked as he wiped his little brother's face clean. Hiro struggled in Tadashi's grip and scrunched his face as his older brother wiped the last of the sauce off. Their friends started laughing when they saw how red his newly cleaned nose was from Tadashi's rubbing.

They somehow managed to finish all five boxes of pizza. Hiro's eyelids were drooping as Tadashi and his friends cleaned up.

"We'll wait for you in the car," Gogo whispered as they left the room. Tadashi nodded as they walked out. He wanted to say goodnight to his baby brother before they left.

"You excited, _otouto_?" Tadashi asked as he took a seat by Hiro's bed. They child looked so full and content that he had a giddy smile plastered over his face.

"Home…" he muttered. "Going home tomorrow," a giggle escaped from his lips.

"Well, _someone_ just ate themselves into a food coma," Tadashi sighed as he placed a hand in Hiro's messy hair.

"No touchie… hair…" Hiro mumbled tiredly. He brought his hand up to Tadashi's, but lost the energy to push it away. Instead he ended up just putting his hand over Tadashi's while it rested on his head.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tadashi bent over and softly kissed his forehead. Taking the child's hand, he placed it carefully on the bed. "Goodnight, bonehead. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Cuddling his robot plushy, Hiro smiled and nodded. "Goodnight, _nii-chan_… love you…"

"Love you, too… sweet dreams," Tadashi whispered. He was unsure if Hiro heard him. Soft snores were coming from the child's mouth.

Watching his little brother's peaceful face, Tadashi stood and quietly muttered _Ow_.

Immediately, Baymax inflated out of his case. "Good evening, Tadashi," the robot said quietly. "I was alerted by a sound of distress. What seems to be the problem? I see no visible injury on you."

"Hey, Baymax," Tadashi greeted his robotics project fondly. "Can you watch Hiro tonight? Make sure he doesn't hurt himself in his sleep or something… I don't need him staying here any longer…"

The robot blinked. "Of course."

"Thanks, buddy," Tadashi smiled and placed a hand on the robot's inflated arms. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tadashi."

As he left the room, Tadashi chuckled as he heard Baymax coo, "Hairy baby."

* * *

><p><strong>Real quick, for anyone wondering...<strong>

**I don't intend to include _ANY_ romance in this story (NO shipping :/), but if you guys really want one, I'll consider making a smaller story... just make sure to say so if you do!~**

**Yay, or nay for how the story is going so far pls :3**

**Crossed fingers for no power shortage...**


	12. Chapter 12: Welcome Home

**Yes! Two finals done, two to go! As celebration, I'm giving you guys an EXTRA fluffy chapter~**

**Random studying tip: Listen to video game soundtracks while you're studying, they're designed to help you concentrate xD**

**Thanks for all the _amazing_ comments! Look forward to lots of updates with winter break coming and all~**

**Enjoy this chapter! I couldn't handle the cuteness even when I was writing this LOL**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Welcome Home<p>

"Come on, buddy. Time to go home!"

"Get me out of this wheel chair first," Hiro groaned. As per the hospital's policies, Hiro had to be wheeled out in a wheel chair before he could leave, much to the child's chagrin. He didn't get it. His legs were fine, but why did he have to be in a wheel chair? It made absolutely no sense to his young brain. He sunk down in the chair and looked as though he wanted to disappear.

Tadashi shrugged. "Rules are rules, Hiro. Can't do anything about it."

Aya giggled as she walked with the brothers towards the main entrance. She was carrying the things Hiro would need when he got home, such as his medications, extra inhalers, bandages…

"Thanks for watching after my brother for these past few weeks, Aya," Tadashi said gratefully as he opened the door of Wasabi's car. "I really appreciate it."

The nurse smiled. "It's my job to make sure my patients are comfortable and safe," she stated casually. "Besides, Hiro just made it so much more interesting, with all the fun facts that came with each bandage change," she glanced fondly at the child as he struggled to get out of the chair and into the car.

"Can you thank the doctor for me, too? I haven't seen him since last night…" Tadashi asked, ignoring his little brother's sounds of fury as he lifted the child out of the chair. Placing Hiro into the seat, he made sure to buckle his seatbelt and make his arm comfortable. Hiro huffed angrily at being babied in public, a small pout forming on his face.

"Of course," Aya nodded. Tadashi closed Hiro's door as she handed him the big bag full of supplies. "Medicine, bandages, painkillers, inhalers, and anti-scarring cream," she listed off and Tadashi took the bag. "Two pills per day, and change bandages twice a day. Use the anti-scarring cream on the wound before redressing it, and for the first few days, have him take a painkiller before you start. Feel free to come back if you run out of anything."

"Thanks, Aya," Tadashi said again. He dipped his head politely at her and climbed into the drivers seat.

The nurse smiled and bowed as Tadashi drove away.

* * *

><p>"Where's everyone else?" Hiro asked as he shifted in the passenger seat. His left arm was still in a sling, and it would stay in one for another month.<p>

"They're waiting at home," Tadashi explained. "Didn't want to make you feel too crowded on the way back."

"I'm not a baby… it's not that big of a deal…" Hiro grumbled.

"Well, get used to it. I'm not the only one that's gonna be babying you from now on," Tadashi retorted, laughing at the look of horror on Hiro's face.

"I'll never be able to show my face in public again," the child groaned.

* * *

><p>Honey Lemon pranced around excitedly. Tadashi had sent her a message a few minutes ago tell her that they were on their way home.<p>

"Alright, gang! They should be here any minute now!" she squealed happily.

"Hope the kid doesn't get too surprised and land himself back at the hospital, cuz that would majorly suck," Fred said as he and Gogo got into position.

Wasabi looked out the window, then turned and hissed, "They're here!"

* * *

><p>"Tadashi," Hiro whined. "I can open the door just fine by myself."<p>

"Nope," Tadashi shook his head as he lifted Hiro out of his seat and carefully placed him on his feet. "Doctor said not to do anything that strains your arm."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Ugh, Tadashi?" He raised his right hand and waved it as close as he could in front of the older sibling's face, having to stretch up on his tippy toes to do so. "I still have my right hand."

"Doesn't matter," Tadashi said as he grabbed the bag of supplies. "As long as I'm here, you're not doing _anything_ that could cause your stitches to open up again."

"Oh, come _on_, Dashi" Hiro sighed. He started walking towards the new door, but Tadashi placed a hand on his chest, stopping him from walking forward. Worry was clouding the older Hamada's gaze.

"For crying out loud, Tadashi!" Hiro sighed exasperatedly. "_Walking_ is _not_ going to open my wound!" Tadashi didn't look convinced. Hiro stomped a little foot down as he glared up at his big brother, right hand placed on his hip. "Tadashi, if you think you're going to _carry_ me through the doors like some sappy newly married couple, then forget it." He stood firmly in place, refusing to move as he glared daggers at his older brother. Why did he have to be such a mother hen?

Tadashi knew he could easily lift the kid up by the back of his shirt, or even forcefully carry him, but he respected his brother's wishes and put his hands up in surrender. "Fine, we'll do it your way, little brother," he sighed in feigned defeat.

Triumphantly, Hiro grinned and marched to the door. Tadashi quickly locked the car and followed in pursuit, supplies firmly in hand.

As Hiro reached up to grab the handle, Tadashi kneeled down and wrapped his arms carefully around Hiro's little body, careful to avoid the child's injury. Burying his face into his hoodie, Tadashi smiled when he felt Hiro tense up. His little brother was alive. He was holding him safely in his arms, and he was breathing and truly alive.

"Tadashi? What're you doing!" Hiro asked, shocked at the sudden unexpected show of affection.

"I'm glad you're okay, knucklehead," Tadashi murmured into the fabric of Hiro's jacket. "Don't scare me like that again."

Hiro relaxed in Tadashi's grip. "Sorry, _nii-chan_… Sorry for scaring you…" Using his right hand, he lightly pat Tadashi on the back of head. Quietly, he whispered, "Will you promise me something, too?"

"Anything," Tadashi answered immediately.

Looking deeply and seriously into his older brother's eyes, Hiro said, "Promise me that you won't leave. Like mommy and daddy, and Aunt Cass. Promise me you won't leave me by myself. Ever. Please…" His voice trailed off at the last word as he looked down at his shoes and bit his lips.

Tadashi's heart ached at his little brother's words. He's too young… too young to have to worry about death. He should be living carefree, blissful and innocent. He should be able to go to school and make friends. And most importantly, he should have been able to grow up with a full family.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Tadashi placed a hand in Hiro's messy hair and messed it up some more. "Are you joking? What am I to you?" Tadashi scoffed jokingly. "Do you think you can get rid of me so easily? No way, little brother, you're stuck with me for life."

Smiling at Tadashi's words, Hiro wrapped his right arm around his older brother's neck. "Thanks, Dashi," he giggled.

"No problem, _otouto_," Tadashi chuckled. Slyly, he wrapped an arm around Hiro's waist and lifted him up.

"Hey!" Hiro exclaimed, in shock and indignation. "No carrying!"

"Too late, little brother," Tadashi laughed. "This is my victory!"

Hiro was at a loss. He wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to shove Tadashi away, but that would risk him falling or making Tadashi trip. All he could do was hold onto Tadashi's neck and try to keep himself steady. Having only one arm to use was such a pain.

Chuckling to himself, Tadashi opened the door.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me?"<p>

The head nurse looked up. "Oh, it's just you… What do you need?"

"Umm, I was wondering… do you have the Hamada's new address?"

The nurse frowned. "Now, you know this is strictly doctor patient confidentiality," she said sternly. "Besides, _you're_ the one who worked with their doctor the whole time."

"He lost the files," a well placed sigh, "And he wants me to go check on the Hamada's occasionally to make sure the younger brother's wounds heal correctly."

"Hmm… that's unlike him…" the head nurse muttered, half to herself. "Well, alright. I'll find it for you. But take a few more people with you. I've heard that little one is a handful." She laughed.

"Haha, sure thing! I'll ask around at lunch today. Thanks, miss!" A bow, then a turn and a leave.

_I'll have you soon, boys… just you wait._

* * *

><p>"SURPRISE!"<p>

Streamers burst and confetti flew out and covered the Hamada brothers. Their friends jumped out of their hiding places, each holding a small present. Purple balloons were littered across the floor, and a giant banner that read, "Welcome Home!" hung on the wall. Honey Lemon had her phone in hand as she snapped a picture of the surprised child. She bounced over to the brothers and quickly kissed both of their cheeks. "Welcome back from the hospital, Hiro!" she gushed as she gave the child a careful hug. "Welcome to your new home!"

Tadashi glanced at his baby brother, who was still in his arms. Hiro's face was frozen in surprise. Purple confetti rested in his hair, but he was too shocked to clean it out.

"Hey, buddy? You ok there?" Tadashi asked as he waved a hand in the child's face. The supplies had been taken and carefully put away by Wasabi, giving Tadashi the use of his other arm.

Hiro jerked his head back when Tadashi moved his hand towards his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Tadashi chuckled. "I think we broke his mind, guys."

"I'll take that as a good sign then!" Fred laughed as he strode towards the brothers. He had his hands behind his back, and he grinned widely at the younger Hamada. "As I promised before, little dude." Before Hiro could ask, a giant beanie was placed on his head. It was so oversized that it hung over his eyes and blocked out most of his vision.

Shocked, Hiro took it off and stared at the fabric. Instead of being a monster face, it was a pair of glasses and had the words "KID EINSTEIN" embroidered into material. Speechlessly, Hiro ran his thumb over the letters. They were soft and just feeling it made Hiro feel a million times more comfortable.

"I-… wha-… this… I don't," Hiro stammered, trying to pull his thoughts together.

Fred laughed, knowing what the younger Hamada was trying to say. "No problem, little dude."

"Let's see how long it takes you to grow into that, little brother," Tadashi chuckled as Hiro dragged the beanie up in an attempt to keep it from slipping again.

"My turn," Gogo said as she popped her chewing gum. She held a big box along with a smaller bag. Since Tadashi had yet to place his little brother on the floor, Gogo opened the presents for him. First was the box. Hiro's eyes widened in happiness when he saw what was inside. Tadashi wasn't as happy. It was a pair of purple and black roller blades. Had Tadashi not been holding Hiro, Gogo was pretty sure the kid would have jumped to try them on at that moment.

She placed a hand on the child's head and smiled. "You. Me. These skates at the park when your shoulder gets better, ok genius?" Hiro nodded excitedly, already looking forward to learning to skate for the first time.

"Ahem…" Tadashi cleared his throat and stared at Gogo furiously. She rolled her eyes at the worried older sibling and revealed the rest of her present. A set of skater's safety equipment of the same color as the skates, with a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, shin guards and palm guards. It was a little over the top, but what could they do. It was the only way Tadashi would even allow Hiro to even _touch_ the skates.

"Guess I'm up next," Wasabi said as he pulled out a small box. Opening it, Hiro was confused to see a regular looking pocketknife. However, Wasabi raised a hand and pressed a button. The ordinary pocketknife morphed into a dagger, equipped with a safety guard to make sure the person holding it wouldn't get injured. The blade was made of the high-powered laser induced plasma. Usually, people like Wasabi know it is common sense not to give a child such a dangerous weapon. But Hiro was different. His brain could already tell that getting a cut from a blade like that would _seriously_ hurt. "For protection," Wasabi explained to both Hiro and Tadashi. "In case you're ever in a sticky situation, just press this button and you'll be safe." Wasabi pressed the button again, shrinking the weapon back into it's ordinary shape. "But remember," Wasabi said sternly as he placed the tool in Hiro's outstretched hand, "This isn't a toy. It's only to be used for self-defense or when you are really trapped." Hiro stared at Wasabi seriously and nodded, eyes wide and unblinking. Tadashi gave his friend a grateful glance. Sure, it was true he would always be there for his knuckleheaded brother, but if he happened to be gone, like when the fire had started, Hiro would at least have _something_ to help him.

"Me next, me next!" Honey Lemon squeaked as she bounced over to Hiro and Tadashi. Carefully, she lifted a box out of the gift bag. On it read, "The Little Chemist Set" in big, bold letters. "It's a mini chemistry set!" the girl explained. "I had one when I was your age. That's what got me into chemistry today! Try it out when you're bored, okay? And write down any interesting reactions you get," she giggled. Hiro nodded happily, looking forward to messing around with the small set.

"Thank you guys for all these great gifts," Hiro said shyly, burying his head into Tadashi's shoulder as his face flushed red with embarrassment. Honey Lemon squealed at how cute the child was and immediately started taking pictures with her phone. Wasabi chuckled and walked into the kitchen, only to come out seconds later holding a cake. Bright purple icing read: _Welcome Home, Hiro!_

"Best for last," Gogo said as she stroked Mochi's head. The fat cat was lounging on the couch, enjoying the sensation of having a new home.

Confused, Hiro tipped his head to the side. "What's last?"

To answer that question, Tadashi gently placed Hiro down to the floor. Kneeling down, Tadashi smiled and lightly bumped his forehead against Hiro's. "Welcome back, bonehead," he whispered as he handed the child his present.

Looking down, his eyes, if possible, widened even more. In his little hand was a cell phone. The very cell phone that Tadashi had refused to get him, stating that he was too young to need it. Excitedly, Hiro scrolled through his new device, marveling at the clear screen and touch screen features. "Best part," Tadashi said. He pressed an app and showed Hiro. It was a map, but several small dots blinked in the page. "GPS trackers on each of our phones," Tadashi explained. "That way, you'll know where each of us are, in case you need us. And my number is the first on speed dial." Taking a deep breath, Tadashi looked seriously into the child's eyes. "I know everything happened too quick. And I realize that even if I try, I may not get to you fast enough. But now, we're not alone. We have friends to help us," he said as he gestured to Wasabi, Gogo, Honey Lemon and Fred. "I'll _always_ be here for you, and they will too."

Happily, Hiro tackled Tadashi with a huge one-armed hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou, Dashi!" he squealed happily. "This is the best present ever!" Kissing his new phone, he pressed his face against Tadashi's as he clung onto his older brother. Several snaps sounded as Honey took more pictures.

"You're welcome, little brother," Tadashi laughed. He stood up and grinned at the happy child. "Now let's eat some cake!"

* * *

><p>It was close to midnight when their friends left. Usually, Tadashi would have had Hiro in bed by 9, but today was a special day and he allowed the child to stay up. As long as he didn't binge eat on gummy bears again. Saying their goodnights and sharing their last hugs, the Hamada brothers watched as the college students walked away into the night.<p>

Locking the door and bolting it shut with the chain lock, Tadashi bent down and picked Hiro up, who looked like he was falling asleep on his feet. "Come on, bud. Bedtime." First stop, as usual, was the bathroom. Tadashi carefully brushed Hiro's teeth as the child struggled to stay awake.

"I can do it myself, Tadashi…" he muttered as Tadashi brought the brush carefully across his molars.

"And risk you jamming the brush down your throat?" Tadashi shook his head. "I don't think so, Hiro."

Grumbling from exhaustion, Hiro spit out the toothpaste when Tadashi finished and rinsed his mouth. He sat on the toilet seat and waited for Tadashi to finish before both brothers retired to their bedroom.

Walking into the room, Hiro froze.

"What do you think, buddy?" Tadashi asked cautiously. "I tried to get it to look like our old room… missed some stuff here and there, but other than that-" He cut off when he saw a tear fall down Hiro's face. "Hiro?" kneeling down, Tadashi stared into his brother's eyes. "Is something wrong? Does your arm hurt?" With the help of his friends, Tadashi had redressed Hiro's wound and changed the bandages earlier that day. _Did we bandage it too tightly? Or was the painkiller wearing off… Or did we do something wrong?!..._

"It's perfect," Hiro sniffed happily. "I love it! I can share a room with you again!" he grinned his gapped tooth grin and bounded excitedly around the room. Using his new phone, he snapped several pictures of his side of the room, then journeyed over to Tadashi's side and did the same thing. After receiving the phone, the child had refused to let it go. He held onto it for the whole day, taking pictures and documenting everything that happened during their party.

Breathing a sigh of relief (so they had been tears of _happiness_…), Tadashi laughed and caught his baby brother as he ran around the room excitedly. "Ok, baby brother. Bed time." Glancing at the robot clock that hung in the same place it had hung before in their old room, Tadashi carried Hiro back to his side of the room.

As he was about to set Hiro in bed, a small voice whispered, "Dashi?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

Hesitantly, Hiro grabbed the side of Tadashi's shirt. "… Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Tadashi smiled. "Sure thing, little guy." He walked back to his side of the room with Hiro in arm. Setting Hiro down in bed, he stood up to turn off the lights.

"Wait!" Hiro clambered over to Tadashi and snapped a quick picture of themselves. "First picture of us in our new room," Hiro giggled. Tadashi laughed and ruffled Hiro's hair, much to the child's discontent. He switched off the lights and climbed into bed. Hiro snuggled into Tadashi's chest, careful not to move his left arm. His robot plushy was squished in between the two.

"G'night, _nii-chan_…" he murmured sleepily. "Love you…"

"Good night, _otouto_," Tadashi whispered as he wrapped his arm around his half-conscious little brother. "Sweet dreams…"

If only that could happen…

* * *

><p><strong>Which present do you think was the best, if you were in Hiro's shoes? :3<strong>

**Also, I know the whole laser dagger thing was kinda dangerous, but obviously Hiro's a smart kid. Plus, it'll be important for later in the story!**

**So just wait for when it comes up *slyly thrums fingers together and laughs because I know what's gonna happen***

**Better keep reading to see what else I have in mind :3**

**Leave suggestions or comments, and I'll see how I can include it in the story!~**


	13. Chapter 13: Bad Dream

**Well, I'll be starting this chapter off a little darkly O^O**

**I feel like I've been spoiling everyone with the fluffiness haha...**

**Also, I know Baymax hasn't appeared in a while, but he will in the next few chapters after this! Be patient ;)**

**Two finals tomorrow and I'm done! Then all the time to work on this story hehe... ^-^ Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: Bad Dream<p>

It was burning hot. Hiro felt like he was trapped in an oven with the flames turned on high. Despite the heat, the child couldn't see any flames. In fact, he couldn't see _anything_. It was pitch black; the only thing lit was a small path in front of him. Hiro started walking down the path, quickly picking up speed and turning into a run. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that something was behind him, and whatever it was, it wasn't good. Scared, Hiro kept running, breathes turning into short gasps as his lungs fought for oxygen. His legs ached as the path led to an incline. He wanted to stop, but he knew if he did, whatever was chasing him would get him.

He stumbled up the slope, lungs ready to burst. Fire started to appear alongside him as he ran, taunting him and goading him to hurry up. Whimpering, Hiro flinched back every time a stray flame lashed out and burned his flesh. A familiar voice called out from the top of the hill, "Hiro!"

"Tadashi!" the terrified child cried out.

"Hiro! Come on, you're almost there!"

"I'm tired, Dashi," he sobbed, slowing his pace. Finally, he collapsed, legs giving away from exhaustion and chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. He didn't want to move, but he knew he had to. _Should I go? Should I stay? Maybe I can crawl… _The fire around him grew into a raging inferno, whispering, "_He's here, he's here_."

Scared to ask who, Hiro quickly scrambled back up and tried to run to where his big brother was. Too late.

A hand clasped done on his shoulder, and a sinister voice whispered in his ear, "Found you."

The thing behind him pushed him over, and suddenly he was submerged in water. Thrashing with all his might, he tried to reach the surface. Breaking through the waves, he opened his mouth to gasp a breath of air, only to swallow a big mouthful of water. Choking at the cold water, he splashed around desperately, trying to find something, _anything_, to hold onto. His limbs were tired, and refused to cooperate in holding his head above the water.

A hand was placed on his head. Hiro felt relief flooding over him. _Someone's here to help… Dashi?... _But the relief quickly turned to panic when the hand mercilessly pushed his head back under the water. Fighting with as much strength as he could muster, Hiro thrashed uncontrollably, trying to keep his mouth above the water. He squirmed, feeling the cold water drag him down. The hand kept pushing, making sure he didn't resurface. Crying out in a last attempt, Hiro felt the water flood into his mouth, filling his lungs, blinding his eyes, dragging him down…

"Hiro! Wake up! _Hiro_!"

Tadashi's urgent voice ripped through the terrible dream. Opening his eyes, Hiro looked up to see Tadashi's worried face. The child was gasping for breath, as though he had just run a marathon, and his right hand was clenching on to the bed sheets. Tears were streaming down his face, dotting the sheets with dark splotches. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his injured arm ached.

"Wha-? What…?" Hiro gasped as he panted for breath.

"You were thrashing around in your sleep!" Tadashi said worriedly. "Did you have a bad dream?" He helped Hiro sit up and started rubbing the child's back reassuringly. Hiro stared blankly at the wall, still panting, hand pressed against his chest. He didn't notice the tears falling, too shocked and terrified to react to Tadashi.

"Are you okay, buddy?" Tadashi whispered, not wanting to frighten his already terrified brother.

Hiro took several deep breaths, trying to slow down his heart rate. He turned and buried his face into Tadashi's shirt, tears falling and staining the fabric. Tadashi didn't care; he was beyond himself in worry as he patted Hiro's back.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tadashi asked softly.

Face still buried in his brother's shirt, Hiro shook his head furiously. He gripped onto Tadashi's shirt with as much strength as his one hand could have. Eventually, his grip slacked and his ragged breathing softened until they turned into soft snores.

"Unbelievable…" Tadashi murmured in amazement. From the way Hiro was thrashing, he could have been _dying_ in his dream, but he managed to go back to sleep almost immediately.

Tucking his brother back in and smoothing out the sheets, Tadashi watched Hiro's sleeping form in the dim moonlight. Tear marks streaked down his face, and an occasional small hiccup would sound between breaths.

Tadashi sighed. He was afraid this would happen. Despite Hiro's intelligence, he was still a child, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He had acted tough in front of everyone when he was awake. But in his unconscious state, the demons that haunted him could emerge and terrify him all they wanted. In the hospital, the painkillers and medicines knocked him out enough that he could sleep dreamlessly, but now that he was home with no IV hooked into him 24/7 he was open for all the nightmares his big brain could give him.

He had been awoken by small kicks to his back. Then a strangled cough. "What the…" he muttered, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Hiro was thrashing around, right hand grabbing at the sheets. The blankets tangled around his small body, threatening to swallow him. Tadashi placed a hand on Hiro's right shoulder, gently shaking the boy.

"Come on, Hiro… wake up, it's just a dream."

He didn't respond, and only struggled more. Slowly, the thrashing stopped and he lay lifelessly, tangled up in the blankets. Tadashi yawned, about to go back to sleep, when he realized something was wrong.

It was too quiet.

_Hiro wasn't breathing._

Tearing the blankets out of the way, Tadashi gently shook Hiro's body again, more urgently this time. "Hiro?" he whispered.

Suddenly, the child took a big gasp of air, before cutting it off again. It wasn't that he wasn't breathing. He was holding his breath. As though he were underwater. Tadashi started getting worried. If he held his breath any longer, he would end up suffocating himself in his own sleep. Tadashi grabbed his brother's uninjured shoulder and shook it while practically yelling his baby brother's name. Relief washed over him when Hiro's eyes flew open.

_That must've ben one hell of a nightmare to hold his breath in his conscious body…_ Tadashi thought. Worry flooded over him again. What if he falls asleep, and Hiro's nightmare comes back? What if Tadashi doesn't wake up this time? What if Hiro dies in his sleep?!

Tadashi got out of bed, pulled out his chair and sat there, staring at Hiro's mess of hair. He would stay there and watch Hiro all night, even if it meant not sleeping…

* * *

><p>"…-shi… Dashi?"<p>

"Huh?" Tadashi grunted as he woke with a start. His neck ached and his arms were sore. Mentally cursing himself for falling asleep, Tadashi stretched and cracked his neck.

Hiro was staring at Tadashi from the bed, confusion in his big brown eyes. "Why were you sleeping in the chair, _nii-chan_?"

"Ugh," Tadashi groaned as his back ached. "Don't worry about it, kid," he yawned and stretched his arms up into the arm, feeling a satisfying crack in his spine. Shaking his head, Tadashi smiled tiredly at Hiro and stood up. "Come on _otouto_, let's go get something to eat."

Hiro nodded and clambered down the bed. Grasping onto Tadashi's left hand, the two brothers trudged downstairs for fill their rumbling stomachs.

* * *

><p>"You two look terrible," Honey Lemon murmured sympathetically. "No sleep last night?"<p>

Tadashi hid another yawn as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Hiro had a nightmare last night and almost scared _me_ to death. Ended up staying up to make sure he didn't get it again…" another yawn cut off his sentence.

Their friends had all came over to check on the brothers. It was a weekend, and the college students didn't have any classes or upcoming tests to worry about. Honey Lemon, Tadashi and Fred were seated at the dining table, gladly accepting cups of coffee. Gogo and Wasabi were in the living room, sitting on the floor and helping Hiro with his arm exercises. To make sure Hiro's arm stayed healthy and to avoid the muscles from atrophying, the doctor had given him a set of exercises to do everyday, once after each meal and one more time before going to bed. Hiro winced as he reached forward with his injured arm. Gogo murmured words of encouragement and gently massaged his back, right in the shoulder blade (also recommended by the doctor). Wasabi sat in front of him, putting his hands up a certain distance away from Hiro's hand, setting a goal for him to reach.

"That sucks, dude," Fred said as he drained his cup. "What'd the little guy dream of?"

Tadashi shrugged. Right after Hiro ate and took his medicine, that had been the first thing Tadashi asked. But the child only stared at him blankly, and stated he forgot. "Your guess is as good as mine…" another yawn. "He won't tell me, and I don't know if it's because he doesn't want to think about it again or if he actually forgot…"

"He'll come to you when he's ready," Honey Lemon said kindly. "You're his older brother, after all!"

"I guess…" Tadashi chuckled. He grabbed a donut from the box his friends had brought over that morning. Taking a bite, he watched as Hiro continued his exercises, worry filling his stomach every time the child looked pained.

* * *

><p>"When are you coming back to class, Tadashi?" Wasabi asked. Honey Lemon and Hiro were double-teaming against Fred as they played a video game he had brought over. Wasabi, Gogo and Tadashi were crashing on the couch, watching Fred annihilate his opponent. Well, to be fair, Hiro only had one hand to use, and Honey Lemon had never played before.<p>

"Not sure," Tadashi sighed. "Next week, maybe? But I don't know what to do with Hiro… I mean, I know he needs to go to school, but he knows all the material being taught already. Besides, those kids…" Wasabi and Gogo nodded understandingly. Tadashi had often come ranting into the lab about how vile middle school students were, and full stories of how Hiro was being bullied just for being different.

"Why don't you get him a home tutor?" Gogo suggested. "That way, he can still keep up with his education and be ready when he's prepared to go back to school. Plus, someone will be here to watch him while you're at school."

"Hmm…" Tadashi murmured thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea, actually… but who could I get to tutor him?"

"I can ask Heathcliff, if you want," Fred volunteered as he crushed Hiro and Honey's avatar yet again.

"Nah, I don't think Hiro knows him that well," Tadashi chuckled as his baby brother threw him a terrified glance.

"We could take turns," Honey Lemon suggested as she gave a frustrated sigh at losing _again_. "Not all of us have classes everyday, and when we don't have class we could watch Hiro."

"Wouldn't that really mess with your times though?" Tadashi asked worriedly, not wanting to bother his friends.

Gogo snorted. "Tadashi, you guys are like family. There is _always_ time for family."

"Plus, he could always just chill in your lab till your done with classes," Fred said. He pumped his fist in the air when he won _yet again_. "Just have Baymax watch him, and give him work to do and stuff. I doubt Callaghan would mind, I mean, the dude _loves_ you. He'll be super hyped when he learns your bro is only 7 and he can make his own robots."

"Would you like that, buddy?" Tadashi asked as he leaned over and ruffled his brother's messy unbrushed bedhead.

Hiro's eyes widened. "Does that mean I can see you guys everyday?" he whispered excitedly.

"Yup," Tadashi grinned. Hiro nodded his headed happily, rejoicing at the idea of seeing his brother and friends everyday.

"It's settled then, we'll be your personal tutors from now on," Wasabi said happily. He looked forward to teaching the child prodigy about the lasers he worked with.

A cheer erupted through the room when Honey Lemon and Hiro finally defeated Fred. Once out of almost a hundred games. Tadashi smiled knowingly at his friend. Fred had pretty obviously let them win one game. But Hiro and Honey were too absorbed in their first success to realize it. Fred grinned at Tadashi and pressed a finger to his mouth. "Shh…"

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed by quickly. They all stayed inside, chatting about recent scientific accomplishments and theories. Tadashi also showed off his birthday gift for the first time. His friends all breathed out <em>oohs<em> and _aahs_ as the microbots lifted Mochi up into the air. The fat cat did _not_ appreciate that.

Hiro and Honey Lemon decided to bust out the mini chemistry kit. Hiro caught on quickly, and every time they created a new creation, he would laugh and write it down in his journal. Honey Lemon would giggle and take pictures while everyone else stared. Tadashi knew it was only a kid's set, but anything could happen when the wrong chemicals are mixed together. He didn't need his second home burned down as well.

After dinner, Hiro took his medicine and did his exercises, which took about an hour. Next was the bandage change. Hiro sat patiently and quietly as Gogo and Honey Lemon helped redress this wound. Trying not to grimace at the sight of the wound, Gogo kept a straight face as she rubbed anti-scarring cream and disinfectants onto the wound. Hiro winced slightly as the disinfectant stung his shoulder, grabbing Tadashi's hand and holding back tears.

"Almost done, Hiro," Honey Lemon whispered as she placed a bandage patch over the wound. "aannndddd… done!" she squealed. "Good job, Hiro!" She gave the child a tight hug before helping him put his arm back into the sling.

"Because you sat through that so toughly," Tadashi said gruffly, "you get this as a reward."

Hiro gasped and smiled. "A lollipop! And it's my favorite color! Thanks, Dashi!" Grabbing the red candy, Hiro hugged Tadashi's legs to show his gratitude. He did the same for Gogo and Honey, showing his appreciation to them helping him bandage his shoulder. Gogo patted the child's head softly and smiled, while Honey Lemon completely lost it and started squealing at the child's cuteness. After he let go, the child raced to the living room to show off his award to Fred and Wasabi, who were having a mini tournament on the video game.

Watching him leave, Honey cooed, "Isn't he just the cutest?"

Sitting down at the table, Tadashi pulled out his laptop and the flash drive.

"That the flash drive your aunt left you?" Gogo asked as she took a seat next to him.

He nodded, then sighed in frustration. "There wasn't a password left or anything, so I can't open this 'Project New Life' file. The hint I got was 'date'… But I don't know which date!" He scratched his head, irritated.

"Have you tried their birthdays?" Honey Lemon offered, sitting across the table from her other two friends.

Tadashi quickly typed the numbers in, only to see a big red X appear on the screen. "Nope."

"Your birthday? Or Hiro's?" Gogo mused.

Another red X.

"Their anniversary date?" Honey Lemon said desperately.

Another X. And a window that said he had to wait ten minutes before trying again.

Tadashi sighed. "Maybe it's in the videos?..." Which sounded right. But there was one problem. There were over 24 hours of footage all together. And that was only in one folder. After some digging, Tadashi found five folders full of footage, some in the same place they had worked at in the first footage, and some with Tadashi and Hiro in the shots. Tadashi assumed it was all videos from the old camera his father always had with him for when the family went out for rare vacations.

Clicking one, it opened to show the one trip their family had taken to New Hokkaido. It was snowing, and Hiro kept falling face first into the snow. This was shortly after Hiro was born, and the child had never seen snow before. Tadashi smiled when he remembered making a snowman with Hiro. The child was absolutely mystified when he saw that you could _mold_ the white substance into different forms.

"That'll take forever to find," Gogo groaned, mirroring Tadashi's own thoughts.

"I'll figure this later, I guess…" Tadashi sighed. "I feel like it's right in front of my eyes, but I can't see it…"

"Cheer up, Hamada," Gogo lightly punched him in the arm. "Woman up. We'll figure this out. Together."

"Yeah," Tadashi sighed. Glancing at the clock, he almost had a heart attack when he looked at the time. 9:52 pm. Hiro should've been in bed almost an _hour_ ago. "Shoot, I got distracted with these files…" Tadashi muttered as he snapped his laptop down. Getting up, he hurried to the living room. Turning around the corner, he was surprised to see Hiro sleeping on the couch, lollipop stick in hand. Wasabi looked up in surprise. Fred was playing single-player mode in the video game, and hadn't noticed Tadashi's arrival.

"Kid fell asleep around 9:30," Wasabi whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping child.

Breathing a quick sigh of relief, Tadashi nodded and mouthed, "okay." Quietly, he and his friends tiptoed out of the room. They sat in the kitchen, silently staring at the laptop screen, which Tadashi had opened again. Watching the clock tick down, Tadashi waited impatiently for the timer to hit ten minutes.

"Ya know, the more you look at the timer, the slower it'll feel like it's going," Gogo pointed out matter-of-factly.

Tadashi rolled his eyes, but he knew she was right. "It's just so frustrating… I can't think of any other dates!"

"Are you sure it's a date? And not just some random number combination?" Wasabi asked.

The older Hamada shook his head. "Mom and dad _always_ used dates. It was their number one rule for short password creations. An easy 4 numbers to remember, but so many possibilities." He growled in frustration. "And the hint said it was a date too.

Honey Lemon stared at the screen when a sudden thought occurred to her. "Have you tried adding?"

Everyone stared at the girl. Honey Lemon blushed and said, "Try adding the your birthday and Hiro's birthday together, it might work?..." She trailed off at how ridiculous she sounded.

But Tadashi kept staring. Because he realized that she could be right. _Leave it to our parents to think of such a trick… at least I hope so… _he thought to himself darkly. "We'll try it," he said slowly. "If we don't get it, there's always another try after…"

The agonizing 2 minutes passed by in silence as all the older students stared intently at the timer. Finally, the screen unlocked; ten minutes were up.

"Let's see… my birthday is March 6, and Hiro's is October 28… so that's…" He started typing the numbers as he said them. "1… 3… 3… 4…" Everyone held their breaths as Tadashi pressed the enter key.

_Beep._

A green check mark.

They were in.

Just as Tadashi was about to scroll down the page, Hiro screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>This is gonna be based on everyone knowing that Fred is filthy rich already xD<strong>

**Also, again, those birthdays are _not_ real, I made them up at the spot when I was writing the first few chapters. But now you see why it was important hehe...**

**Quick disclaimer: I'm not actually sure if there is anything where you could die in your sleep. I tried looking it up, but all I got was a genetics disease that caused heart attacks while people sleep. I'm just basing this off of what I've seen on CSI and stuff... but I _think_ (not a hundred percent sure...) that if the dream is scary enough, you could actually die in real life O^O**

**So, on _that_ lovely note, keep leaving comments so I can keep my brain going!**

**Also, look forward to Christmas and New Years, cuz I'll be making special chapters on those days ^-^**


	14. Chapter 14: Darkness

**Alright! Finals done with, things all packed, my winter break has officially started!**

**More free time to write this story xD**

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, it makes my day reading how much you guys like my writing :) Really appreciate it!**

**Baymax will be making his appearance next chapter, along with the bad guys! Suspense~**

**Enjoy this new chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Darkness<p>

The darkness was suffocating. He was back in the cold water, still sinking. Multiple hands were pressing him down, forcing him to stay submerged. He couldn't see. Tears mixed in with the coldness around him. He couldn't breath. He was disappearing into the suffocating and deep darkness. He could feel himself melting away, slowly and painfully.

Suddenly, a warm hand grabbed his shoulder. A familiar voice said, _"Hiro… come on buddy, I'm not giving up on you…"_

_Tadashi?_ Opening his eyes, he saw a gun barrel inches from his forehead. His brother had disappeared, instead replaced with a tall, cloaked figure. The brim of his hat covered his face, but Hiro saw the cold smirk on his mouth. A long scar ran down his right cheek, going all the way down to his collarbone. He laughed coldly, then sneered, "Sorry kid… I'm not missing this time…"

He cocked his gun.

_No…_ Hiro shook with fear. _Tadashi… where are you? Hold my hand… please save me…_

_Bam!_

"Hiro! Come on, _otouto_, wake up! It's just a dream! _Wake up_!"

Hiro's eyes flew open, turning wildly but seeing nothing. Tears blurred his vision and deep gasps shook his small frame. The gunshot still echoed in his ears, loud and explosive. He could still hear the man's cold laughter.

"_Nii-chan_…" Hiro whimpered, blindly reaching out for Tadashi and panicking when he felt nothing. Relief filled his chest when he felt a familiar hand capture his own. Carefully, Tadashi cradled Hiro to his chest and let the child cry into his shirt. Their friends could only watch in mixed sympathy and fear. Listening to Hiro scream… it was like listening to someone being murder…

* * *

><p>"What did you see, Hiro?" Honey Lemon whispered.<p>

The child was shivering under a thin blanket even though the kitchen was warm. He stared blankly at the cup of hot chocolate that they had made for him. Tadashi was sitting next to him, reassuringly rubbing his back. Everyone else also sat around the terrified child, patiently waiting for him to calm down.

"Come on, kid…" Gogo murmured with a softness that was usually never in her tone, "What can we do to help?"

Hiro said nothing, staring at the cup and letting fresh tears slip down his face.

"_Please_, Hiro…" Tadashi begged. "We want to help. _I_ want to help. Tell us what's scaring you? Please?..." He grabbed a napkin and gently wiped away Hiro's tears.

At his brother's words, Hiro's mind cleared up and he took a deep breath in. Shakily letting out his breath, he muttered, "I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault!" Wasabi interjected immediately. "No one as young as you has gone through _half_ of what you've gone through, kid. We understand that you're shocked, but let us help!"

"Please?" Honey Lemon added hopefully.

Hiro sighed deeply. "Alright… I'll tell you guys…"

* * *

><p>The room was silent after Hiro told them of his two nightmares. Pain gripped at Tadashi's heart. His little brother was being tormented by his own mind, and as an older brother, he couldn't do anything to help.<p>

"Hiro…" Tadashi didn't know what to say.

Hiro's head snapped up as he looked at his older brother, distress in his brown eyes. "I almost saw his face, _nii-chan_! If only I had seen his face-"

"That's not the problem right now," Tadashi cut Hiro off tersely. "The problem is that you're obviously not getting any rest from these nightmares. Do you want to go see a psychiatrist?"

"No!" Hiro's eyes widened. Psychiatrist meant doctor. And doctor meant hospital. As far as he was concerned, he never wanted to set foot in another hospital as long as he lived. Hospitals only brought bad news and pain.

"Well, we gotta do _something_ about these dreams, buddy," Tadashi sighed, running a hand through his neat hair. "I don't want you hurting yourself in your sleep."

"Maybe Baymax could do something for him," Fred suggested. "I mean, that's sorta what he was designed to do, right?"

"I guess…" Tadashi mumbled, rubbing his neck. "But we won't know till tomorrow then… We'll be going to school a little early, is that okay, bud?"

Hiro nodded enthusiastically. Tadashi had often told him about the lab he worked in at school. He also told him about his professor. Robert Callaghan. _The_ Robert Callaghan. The same Robert Callaghan known for his innovations on the foundations of robotics, _and_ the Callaghan's Laws of Robotics. Hiro was hyped to finally be able to meet his idol.

"Well, I think it's time we headed home," Wasabi said, glancing at the clock. "We'll see you two tomorrow morning?"

Tadashi nodded and smiled slyly. "Bright and early. And bring more doughnuts."

Wasabi snorted, then lightly thumped Tadashi's back. "Goodnight, man." Bending down, he ruffled Hiro's hair and said, "Try to get some shut eye tonight, alright?"

Fred patted Tadashi on the shoulder and Hiro on the head. Gogo lightly punched Tadashi's arm and Honey Lemon gave him a big hug. Both women stooped down and gave Hiro a bear hug. They all bid the Hamada brothers goodnight before closing the door.

"Come on, bonehead. Let's brush our teeth and go back to the room," Tadashi said, jerking his head towards the stairs. Quickly grabbing his laptop, Tadashi reached out a hand for Hiro to grab. Together, they ascended up the steps.

Hiro refused to let Tadashi brush his teeth _again_. Despite the older Hamada's fretting, Hiro insisted that he was awake enough to not swallow the toothbrush.

Teeth cleaned, the brothers trudged to their rooms. Hiro crawled into his bed and started tinkering with some spare parts he had. Tadashi pulled out his laptop and opened up the flash drive files.

This was it. He could find out what "Project New Life" really was. Did it have something to do with their parent's deaths? And the man that destroyed their home?

"Hey, Dashi, what's that?"

Shocked, Tadashi almost fell off the bed. "Hiro! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

His baby brother giggled and sarcastically replied, "Should I get defibrillators?"

Tadashi rolled his eyes as Hiro grabbed at the blankets to hoist himself up. To make the struggle less, Tadashi wrapped an arm around Hiro's waist and placed him onto the bed.

"So, whatcha looking at?"

Tadashi shrugged. "Nothing much. Just some old flash drive we found in Aunt Cass's nightstand. But it has some weird project title on it…"

Hiro was curious. "Open it."

The screen blinked once. Then, letters started appearing, spelling out: _Hello, Atsuki and Hiruto Hamada._

Tadashi heard Hiro gasp. "That's _kaa-san_ and _tou-san_…"

Swallowing back his fears, Tadashi pressed the enter key. The words disappeared and more files appeared on the screen. The very first file was labeled "hamada_Month 1."

Opening the document, he and Hiro started reading the words printed on the screen…

_Day 1: He still has Tadashi and Hiro under watch. Any wrong move and he could kill them… I told him I would help, but only if he let me see my sons every so often. Atsuki is beyond herself in grief right now. Nothing I say can calm her down either. She blames herself for not being there to protect them. I blame myself too. Had I not accepted that offer, we would not be in this situation now…_

_Day 2: He finally allowed us to go see the boys. But he told us to be back in a week, or terrible things would happen… I don't want to know what he means by that…_

_Day 7: As promised, we came back. The boys are safe with Cass. Atsuki told her what happened. Cass is smart; she'll know what to do to protect them…_

More and more months stretched down the screen. In total, they added up to…

"That adds up to all the time mommy and daddy left for their trips…" Hiro whispered.

"Yeah, it does…" Tadashi muttered, half stunned at how quick Hiro calculated the problem. "But what does it mean?... What is this 'Project New Life'?..."

Tadashi scrolled through a few more folders, getting more and more frustrated when all he saw were more files and equations with complicated looking graphs.

"Ugh! This is impossible!" Tadashi groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. He flopped back onto his bed, sighing in defeat as he stared at the ceiling. Hiro looked at the screen. Actually, he was looking at the equation that Tadashi had just popped open. "It's useless, Hiro," Tadashi sighed. "There's no way we'll find-"

"This equation is used to find an average human's basal metabolic rate," Hiro stated flatly.

Tadashi stared at Hiro, confused. "Wha-"

"It tracks the amount of energy being used when someone is at rest," the child explained. "And this," he pointed at a graph, "Is a graph of a human's brainwaves at rest compared to when it's active."

"Uhh…"

"Brain waves, or neural oscillation, can be measured by electroencephalography. In general, oscillations can be characterized by their frequency, amplitude and phase. These signal properties can be extracted from neural recordings using time-frequency analysis. In large-scale oscillations, amplitude changes are considered to result from changes in synchronization within a neural ensemble, also referred to as local synchronization. In addition to local synchronization, oscillatory activity of distant neural structures can synchronize. Neural oscillations and synchronization have been linked to many cognitive functions such as information transfer, perception, motor control and memory." It was like the kid was reading this out of a textbook.

"…Hiro?"

"Yeah?"

Tadashi gaped at his baby brother. "How do you know all this?"

Hiro shrugged, like it was common 7-year-old knowledge to know about the science of the human brain. "You have a lot of books. When I'm bored I read them sometimes… The one about the brain was pretty interesting."

Tadashi felt his jaw drop as he gawked at the child. "Those were college leveled reading materials, little brother."

Hiro smiled sheepishly. "They were fun to read…"

Next thing he knows, he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. "What the-Tadashi!"

"I can't believe this!" Tadashi laughed as he squeezed Hiro against his chest. "My kid brother knows more about the human brain than I do."

Hiro felt his cheeks turn red. His face flushed as Tadashi ruffled his hair. "I keep forgetting how smart you are, Hiro. But to this level…" He chuckled, pride bursting through his chest. "Unbelievable…"

"It's not that hard… it was an interesting book…" Hiro mumbled, face down in embarrassment.

"Tell you what, buddy." Tadashi lifted Hiro's chin so they could see each other, eye-to-eye. "When school starts tomorrow, I'll leave you in the lab with Baymax. Do you think you can work out what _kaa-san_ and _tou-san_ were working on?"

Hiro nodded excitedly. He was going to spend a whole day at a cool lab, _and_ get to work on mathematical equations? Tomorrow was going to be the best day ever.

"All right then," Tadashi laughed. "Now let's get some sleep. School starts pretty early tomorrow, and I don't want to miss it!"

* * *

><p>"Do we have to go so early?" Hiro complained, fighting back a yawn.<p>

Tadashi snickered. "Stop being such a baby, it's only 7:30." The child sitting behind him on his moped grumbled, eyes fighting to stay open. "Class doesn't start till 9, but I want to go to the lab early to make sure you're comfortable."

"I'd be way more comfortable in bed…" Hiro grumbled, tightly gripping on to Tadashi's back as he made a quick turn.

Finally, after a few minutes, Tadashi parked his moped and took off his helmet. Hiro jumped off of the back seat as Tadashi grabbed his bag. "Excited to see the nerd lab?" he teased as they walked toward the building.

Hiro nodded enthusiastically, all traces of exhaustion gone. Tadashi opened the doors and he heard Hiro let out a small breath of amazement.

Their friends were already there, working on their projects and tweaking their machines. Fred was lounged across his armchair, munching on donuts. Noticing the Hamada brothers, he brushed off crumbs from his face and grinned. "Morning, Hamada bros! Care for a donut?" Hiro's eyes widened at the sight of the delicious pastries, but looked at Tadashi for approval. His older brother nodded, and the child politely took a regular glazed donut. Content filled his eyes and a smile slid across his face when he took the first bite.

Just then, a yellow blur zoomed past them, inches away from Hiro's face. Hiro blinked in surprise, then saw Gogo dismount a strange looking yellow bike.

"Gogo _onee-chan_!" Hiro bounced over to Gogo and gave her a good morning hug.

"Good morning Hiro. Morning, Tadashi," she nodded as the older Hamada made his way over to them.

"Hey, Gogo. Sorry if this knucklehead is bugging you," Tadashi chuckled as he pointed at Hiro, who had his one arm wrapped tightly around her leg.

"I don't mind," a fond smile slowly appeared on her face as she patted the child on the head.

"Is that your project?" Hiro asked curiously, eyeing the yellow bike.

"Yup."

"Wow… I've never seen electromagnetic suspension on a bike before."

"Zero resistance, faster bike," she said, slightly taken aback that a 7-year-old knew the science behind her project. She took the back wheel off of the bike, inspecting the piece of technology. "But not fast enough." She tossed it into a bin of already discarded wheels. "Yet."

"Whoa…" Hiro walked around in amazement, trying to take in everything he saw. Not looking in front of him, too busy turning his head to look at everything else, he didn't notice that he had strolled away from Gogo's work space.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Keep _behind_ the yellow line!" Startled, Hiro yelped and jumped back. He didn't even realize there _was_ a line…

"Oh, hey there Hiro!"

"Good morning, Wasabi _onii-chan_," Hiro greeted while trying to slow his racing heart. And who said jump scares don't scare… "What are you working on?"

Wasabi smirked and pulled a wielding mask over his face. "Prepare to be amazed."

Grabbing an apple, he tossed it up in the air and caught it before saying, "Catch!" and tossing it to Hiro. The child raised his hand to catch the fruit, only to be surprised when they separated into paper-thin slices right before his eyes. The slices drifted slowly down towards him. He caught one in amazement, staring at what used to be a whole fruit. Wasabi hit a switch, revealing the deadly lasers.

"Laser induced plasma?"

"Oh yea," Wasabi chuckled as he walked over to his tools. "With a little magnetic confinement for ultra precision," Wasabi explained as he straightened out one small tool that was out of the line. Although he was impressed, Hiro suppressed a small shudder. Thank god Wasabi had told him to stop…

"Wow, everything is so organized…" Hiro said as he lifted a magnifying glass, not noticing Wasabi cringe and reach out for the tool. "How do you find anything in this mess?"

"No, no! I have a system!" Wasabi stated as he carefully placed the magnifying glass back in the right position. "There's a place for everything, and everything in it's place," smiling proudly as he looked at his perfectly organized table.

"Need this!" Gogo appeared out of nowhere and grabbed one of his tools.

Wasabi's eyes widened in horror. "What?! No! You can't do that! You're ruining the system!" He quickly walked after Gogo, ranting about how she ruined "the system."

"Hiro!" Honey Lemon squealed as she spotted the brothers. "Come look at this!"

She grabbed the child's uninjured arm and dragged him over to her station.

"That's a lot of tungsten carbide," Hiro noted, looking at the big ball of metal waiting for them.

"400 pounds of it!" she exclaimed happily. "You're gonna love this! A dash of perchloric acid, a smidge of cobalt, a hint of hydrogen peroxide, SUPER HEATED TO FIVE HUNDRED KELVIN, and..." she sprayed the chemical all over the metal ball and pulled down a lever, "TADAAA!" A big pink ball was left in the space. "Annnnddddd…" she giggled as she placed a finger on the ball.

_Poof!_

Pink dust flew everywhere, settling over everyone in a ten-foot radius. The fine powder also covered Honey's glasses, which she wiped them clean as she giggled uncontrollably. "Chemical-metal embrittlement," she explained eagerly.

"Whoa…" Hiro yelped in amazement.

"Come on, bonehead," Tadashi laughed as he pulled Hiro away from the work places. "Let's go to my office."

* * *

><p>"<em>This<em> is your office?" Hiro gaped at what he was seeing. It was everything he could possibly dream of. Sure, there was Aunt Cass's garage, but this… this was so much nicer, with more machines and better mechanics. Plus it looked amazing.

"Yup," Tadashi shrugged, as though having such an amazing office was no big deal. "What do you think?"

"This is incredible!" Hiro squeaked, practically bouncing off the walls in delight. This is amazing! I mean, look at all this cool tech! Is that a 3D printer, cuz I have _seriously_ always wanted to use one, and look at how big this computer screen is! Oh! And this-"

"Ok, little bro!" Tadashi laughed as he caught Hiro mid-run. "I get it, I get it! Now breathe!"

"Do I seriously get to stay here the _whole_ day?" Hiro asked, shocked disbelief at such an amazing opportunity.

"Yup," Tadashi grinned as he ruffled his brother's hair. "And feel free to use any of the stuff you see. Just make sure not to get into too much trouble, okay?"

Hiro grinned his trademark smile and nuzzled his head into Tadashi's chest. "Thanks, Dashi. You're the best brother ever."

* * *

><p><strong>I decided to show off Hiro's intelligence, to make Tadashi proud and all ;)<strong>

**Also decided to keep the original plot of introduction to the lab from the movie :3**

**Keep leaving reviews! And I have something special planned for Christmas Day, so be prepared ;)**


	15. Chapter 15: Amazing

**Back with more hehe :)**

**Thanks for all the awesome comments, it really makes my day reading that you guys actually like my writing~**

**Treating you all with overprotective Tadashi~ Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: Amazing<p>

"Now, what do you do if you get hurt?"

"I wash out the wound," Hiro replied flatly, "then look for an adult to take me to get it properly treated."

"And?..." Tadashi pressed, making sure his brother really understood what to do.

Hiro rolled his eyes. "And call you. Relax, Tadashi! I'll be fine! Besides, Baymax is with me. He's kinda programmed to treat injuries, isn't he?"

At his words, the inflated robot waddled up to the brothers, feet squeaking with each step. Hiro was sitting in Tadashi's armchair while Tadashi was kneeling down to be face to face with his little brother. He blinked at the Hamada brothers, who in return stared blankly at the white robotics project. Baymax moved his hand in a circle as a wave, then bent down and started chasing a soccer ball.

"Just in case! What if he breaks down, or if he can't reach you? Or if the building explodes and he can't activate. Or if a meteor crashes into the office and blocks off all entrances! Or if-"

"Okay, okay! I get it! Jeeze!" Hiro slapped his right hand to his face. "I'll be fine!"

Tadashi looked at Hiro, unsure about what to do. "Do you want me to stay with you another day? I mean, my classes can wait-"

"What? No!" Hiro angrily shoved his brother's shoulder. "You already missed a month of school! You still need to make up all that work!"

"But-"

"Tadashi. For the _last_ time," Hiro sighed, "I'll. Be. _Fine_."

Suddenly, a knock on Tadashi's door snapped them out of their conversation.

"You're awfully early today, Mr. Hamada."

"Professor Callaghan!" Tadashi stood up and greeted his teacher. "No problems, sir. Just letting my brother check out my office and the lab for the first time."

Callaghan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Your brother?"

"Yes, sir. He's a huge fan of yours, and he's been _dying_ to meet you." Tadashi turned to look down, only to see the back of his chair. "Hiro?"

Walking around to see the other side, Tadashi kneeled down and hissed, "What are you _doing_, bonehead! Your idol is at the door right now!"

Hiro was scrunched up in the seat, trying his best to hide his presence. "What if he doesn't like me?" Hiro whispered back, worry in his voice.

Tadashi sighed. "Hiro, Robert Callaghan is a very respectable figure who has worked long and hard to get to where he is today. He could have sold his inventions and become a millionaire, but he decided to stay and become a professor. Do you _really_ think that kind of man would openly criticize and hate on a _7-year-old_? Besides, you're a genius!"

"Bu-but-"

"Sorry, Professor!" Tadashi exclaimed as he shot up and hurriedly smiled at the confused older man. "He's a little shy-"

Tadashi felt a tug at his sleeve and glanced down to see his brother glaring furiously at him. "What are you doing?" Hiro hissed angrily.

Ignoring him, Tadashi continued speaking to his professor, "-but I'm sure you'll be impressed with what he can do." Before Hiro could protest, Tadashi spun the chair around to face his professor. A squeak of surprise and terror sounded through Hiro's lips as he sat frozen in shock. He couldn't believe it. Robert Callaghan was right in front of him, _staring_ at him in astonishment.

"Hello, little one," Callaghan approached the shocked child. Hiro grabbed Tadashi's sleeve, holding it in a death grip. "My name is Robert Callaghan. Tadashi has told us a lot about you… well, too much, actually…"

Hiro glared sharply at his older brother, who was hiding a snicker from the older man.

"He tells me that you are a genius? Is that true?"

"Umm…" Hiro swallowed, trying to collect his thoughts. "I-I wouldn't say _genius_, but I guess I'm a _little_ on the bright side-"

"He's 7 years old and told me the functions of the human brain last night," Tadashi interjected, ignoring the frantic look Hiro was giving him. "He fully understands college level writing and mathematics, can build his own robots and create coding. _And_ he completely understood _all_ of the projects that are being worked on outside."

Callaghan whistled in amazement. "I must say, that is very impressive, Hiro."

Hiro blushed, looking down in embarrassment. "It's not _that_ amazing… compared to what you've done…" he muttered to no one in particular.

"I see a promising future ahead of you," Callaghan smiled kindly as he placed a hand on the child's head. "I hope to see you around more."

"Yes, sir!" Hiro yelped. "Thank you, sir!"

"Well then," the older man chuckled. "Good day to you, Tadashi. And you, Hiro." Giving the Hamada brothers one last smile, the professor left the room.

"See? If I may say so myself, I don't think he hated you," Tadashi said after the professor left.

Hiro didn't reply. He was still staring wide-eyed off into space, mouth hanging open in shock.

"Hiro?"

"I talked to Robert Callaghan…" Hiro whispered, still sitting frozen in the chair.

"You okay there, buddy?" Tadashi waved a hand in front of the child's face.

"I talked to Robert Callaghan!" Hiro repeated, louder and more excited. "I actually talked to him! A-and he said I was impressive! Dashi, did you hear him, did you hear him?! He said I was a genius!" Hiro giggled uncontrollably in the chair, occasional "I talked to Robert Callaghan" and "I can't believe this" coming from his mouth.

"Told you he wouldn't hate you," Tadashi said smugly.

Hiro didn't care. His idol had actually acknowledged him!

* * *

><p>Robert Callaghan walked into his office, quietly closing the door behind him. Walking over to his desk, he chuckled as he remembered Tadashi's little brother. The raven-haired child looked like he was cornered when he first saw him, but slowly started unraveling as they talked. <em>I'm happy I was able to meet this child…<em> Callaghan sighed.

W_hile he's still alive._

Lifting up his desk phone, Callaghan dialed the first number on his speed dial. "Hello, sir? Hiro Hamada is at the lab today, do you want me to do anything? No… no, sir… yes, I understand… Very well, I will watch and report back later. Yes sir. Good day."

After he hung up, Callaghan sighed again, more tired than ever. Reaching across his desk, he gently lifted up a framed picture and stared sadly at the smiling girl in the photo.

"Oh, Abby… Why does it have to be like this?..."

* * *

><p>"Okay, so you've got your medicine, inhaler, cell phone…" Tadashi listed off, trying to see if he missed anything. "You brought your phone, right?"<p>

"Of course I did, _nii-chan_," Hiro rolled his eyes. "I'm fine! Baymax will be with me, and I doubt anything will happen for the few hours you'll be gone."

Tadashi was still unsure. "I'll text you as soon as my first class is over. I should be back around 1:30. Don't forget to take your medicine at 12. I'll redress your shoulder when I get back…"

"Okay, Tadashi, you're gonna be late if you keep stalling." Hiro pointed at the clock that hung on the wall. Tadashi had a little less than ten minutes to get to his class.

"All right! All right…" Tadashi handed the flash drive to the child. "Knock yourself out with this, buddy. Remember the password?"

Hiro nodded, excitement filling his chest. He couldn't wait to dive into the equations, graphs and data that were waiting for him. "Don't worry, Dashi! I promise, I'll be _fine_!"

Tadashi pulled Hiro in for a quick hug and kissed him on the forehead, much to the younger Hamada's distaste. "Love you," he muttered. "Try to stay out of trouble."

Hiro grinned innocently. "Me? Trouble? What are you talking about, Dashi. Now go to class!"

"Okay, okay…" Tadashi grumbled, standing up to leave.

"Wait!" Hiro grabbed on to Tadashi's leg and gave it a quick hug. "Last hug… and I love you too, Dashi _nii-chan_!"

* * *

><p>As Tadashi walked out of the lab, he couldn't help but look back in concern. Every part of his body was screaming at him to run back in, grab Hiro and hide him from the world. But a small voice in the back of his head reasoned with the screams, telling them to calm down.<p>

"Don't worry, Tadashi," Honey said as she quickly caught up with him. Luckily, they had their first class together. "Hiro will be fine. He has Baymax, and it was _you_ that programmed him."

"Thanks, Honey," Tadashi sighed as they walked towards their classroom. "But Baymax was just my robotics project… anything could go wrong at any time…"

"Give yourself more credit," Honey murmured sympathetically. "It is pretty impressive how you programmed Baymax to have so many medical procedures ready at any moment."

"I guess…" Tadashi frowned, still worried about Hiro. "Come on, Honey. We're gonna be late."

* * *

><p>Hiro sighed and flopped back into the armchair, wincing when the sudden movement caused pain to roll down his arm.<p>

"I sense you are in distress," Baymax chirped, squeaking over to his side.

"I'm fine, Baymax," Hiro sighed. "Just moved my shoulder a bit…"

The robot blinked, then displayed a chart on his big belly. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

"A zero," Hiro said, a little annoyed.

"It is all right to cry."

"What? No, I'm not gonna cry!" Hiro threw his hand up in exasperation.

"I will scan you now."

"Don't scan me."

"Scan complete."

"Unbelievable," Hiro groaned as he slapped a hand to his face.

"You have an abrasion on your left shoulder. Diagnoses: inconclusive."

"Ugh, forget it Baymax... Might as well start working on this flash drive…" Hiro grabbed a notepad and pencil and quickly typed in the password. A confident smile spread across his face as the equations leaped out of the screen. He was ready.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Hamada, I understand that you have been gone for a while to deal with personal issues, but need I remind you that cellphone use in class is still prohibited?"<p>

Tadashi grimaced sheepishly at the annoyed looking professor. The teacher's bushy eyebrows were slanted down in frustration. "Sorry, Mr. Woods…"

"See to it that it won't happen again," Mr. Woods huffed as he walked away.

"Tadashi, relax!" Honey Lemon hissed. "Just wait a few more minutes! Then class will be over, and you can message Hiro."

Sighing in impatience, Tadashi began tapping his foot rapidly, not paying attention to his professors lecture. He angrily eyed the clock on the wall, trying to will it to speed up. It wasn't until a piece of chalk came sailing at his head did he finally look at the board.

* * *

><p>"This doesn't make sense…" Hiro muttered, biting at the end of his pencil.<p>

Baymax squeaked into the room, carrying a small tray with a cup of hot chocolate on it. After being fed up with the robots constant squeaking, Hiro had snapped at him to get him a drink. "Is there a problem, Hiro?"

"These equations… they all seem to be leading into brain wave activities, but there's something off…"

"Hiro, I must remind you that it is time to take your medication."

"What?" Hiro asked absent-mindedly, still staring at the equations he had written down on his notepad. The child genius had solved them, his work scrawled messily along the page. However, he was baffled by what he found.

Baymax walked over to Hiro's chair and help out the two pills the child had to eat. "It is time to eat your medicine."

Surprised, Hiro glanced at the clock. He hadn't realized that two and a half hours had passed. "Shoot, Tadashi."

Quickly, he glanced at his phone and groaned. 14 new unread text messages.

10:45_: Hiro, I just got out of my first class_

_How you feeling? Do you need to go home? Are you feeling sick?_

_Call me if you need anything…_

11:00_: Hiro, I'm about to go into my next class_

_Why didn't you reply to my text?_

_Are you hurt? Did something happen?_

_Call me as soon as you can_

11:27_: HIRO HAMADA WHY AREN'T YOU READING YOUR MESSAGES_

_DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?_

_WHAT'S GOING ON_

_HURRY UP AND REPLY GOD DAMMIT_

11:34_: __くそ、答え、弟__!*_

11:49_: I swear to god, Hiro if you don't message me back by 12:30, I'm going to create a robot that will fly to the lab and take you home immediately_

_DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR MEDICINE_

12:30. There was still half an hour. Hiro sighed. Why did Tadashi have to overreact so much?

Thinking of what he was going to reply, Hiro quickly typed:

_Bro, calm down. I'm fine. Sorry, got caught up with some equations…_

_I feel fine, nothing hurts, no injuries, nothing._

_About to take my medicine now, and my breathing is fine, so I'm not gonna use the inhaler._

_WAIT AREN'T YOU IN CLASS?!_

Less than a minute passed when Tadashi replied.

Tadashi_: YEA I'M IN CLASS, BUT HOW COULD I FOCUS WITHOUT KNOWING IF YOU'RE OK?_

Hiro_: DANG IT TADASHI PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS_

Tadashi_: Are you sure you're ok? Nothing wrong?_

Hiro_: HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT._

_I_

_AM_

_FINE_

_NOW PAY ATTENTION_

Tadashi_: Fine! Fine!_

_Oh yeah, I'll be a little late_

_Won't get to the lab till 2, is that ok?_

Hiro_: That's fine. I'll keep working on this stuff. See you later_

Grumbling, Hiro grabbed the pills from Baymax's hand and swallowed them dry, temporarily forgetting his dislike for them.

Baymax blinked. "I sense that you are unhappy."

"It's not that I'm unhappy, Baymax," Hiro let out a growl of frustration. "It's just Tadashi can get a little annoying by overreacting so much!"

"Tadashi worries about you," Baymax stated simply. "He is afraid something may happen that will deter your health."

"Yeah, I know," Hiro sighed as he rested his chin on the table and tapped his forehead with the tip of his pencil. His eyelids drooped as the exhaustion from the morning returned. He yawned and curled up in his brother's armchair. "I'm gonna take a quick nap, buddy…" the tired child mumbled. A few seconds later, his breathing slowed as he fell into a peaceful sleep.

Baymax looked around, then sat on the floor next to the child. He activated his heating system, warming the child as he slept. To conserve his battery life, Baymax went into sleep mode. Hiro smiled slightly at the warmth, snuggling deeper into the chair.

* * *

><p>Callaghan made his way back to Tadashi's office. His orders were to watch the child, and that was what he was about to do. Lightly knocking on the door, he opened it a crack and peeked in. He saw the round robot sitting on the floor, staring blankly ahead. The fact that it hadn't said anything when Callaghan walked in told him that it was on sleep mode.<p>

The child was curled up in Tadashi's armchair, softly snoring as Callaghan quietly made his way over to the sleeping child's side. He twitched slightly when the professor's shadow fell over him, but otherwise didn't react.

Pity fell onto Callaghan's aged shoulders. He was just a child… A child full of great potential and abilities to do great things. Like Abigail…

Something caught the professor's attention from the corner of his eyes. Glancing at the paper strewn across the table, he laughed quietly at the messy handwriting. Suddenly, he froze. He recognized these equations. And those graphs. There was no way he could ever forget it.

Shakily reaching for the papers, Callaghan quickly flipped through the pages, heart racing as he skimmed the work. His heart stopped at the last page.

The equations. The ones that had given him and many other scientists and mathematicians so much trouble in the past. They were correctly solved and proved right in front of his eyes.

Disbelief clouded his mind as he stared at the sleeping child. There was no way. No way a 7-year-old had solved them in a few meager hours, when people in the top of their fields couldn't solve them in the many years they worked. And yet… there it was. Messily scrawled out on a notepad.

Hiro murmured in his sleep. "Dashi?..."

Hurriedly, Callaghan took a picture of each page of the notes. His employer would be very interested in this piece of news… Hearing movement in the lab, he quietly slipped out of the office before anyone knew he was there.

* * *

><p>"Hiro!" Tadashi quickly rushed to his office, Honey Lemon quietly trailing behind him. Barging into his office, Hiro jerked awake and lurched up, forgetting the small space he was sleeping in.<p>

"Ahh!"

Hiro braced for impact, but was instead caught by a pair of soft, inflated arms. Baymax blinked at him and simply stated: "You have fallen."

"Thanks, Baymax," Hiro mumbled, stretching and yawning. "Hey, Tadashi. Thanks for causing me to almost open my injury," he muttered sarcastically, shooting a glare at his brother.

Tadashi smiled weakly, looking more like a grimace than anything. "Sorry, little brother… you stopped replying to my messages and I got worried."

"Fell asleep," Hiro yawned, looking at his phone to see 5 missed calls and 23 new messages. "You need to chill, Tadashi. I'm fine, nothing happened, I'm still alive, everything's _fine_."

"Sorry…" Tadashi sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Hiro shrugged and climbed out of Baymax's arms. "It's okay. I get that you're worried, but I swear, _breathing_ won't kill me." To prove his point, Hiro took a big breath and exhaled.

Jokingly, Tadashi dramatically gasped in horror, as though he was afraid Hiro would choke and die any second.

Hiro rolled his eyes. Tadashi chuckled and grabbed Hiro's hand. "Come on. Let's redress that wound there. Then we'll go out for pizza."

* * *

><p>Callaghan walked quickly into his office, closing the door loudly behind him. Snatching the phone up, he impatiently waited for the line to connect.<p>

"Hello, sir? It's me… I found something I think you'll find interesting…"

"Ohh? What is it?"

"Project New Life, sir. The younger one solved it."

Silence. Then a delighted cackle. "Finally! Those boys don't know what they're doing. They're walking to a place that they can never return from. Make sure they're both alive when they're brought to me. I'm going to need that project. Project New Life is back in business."

* * *

><p><strong>*(kuso, kotae, otouto) Dammit, answer, little brother<strong>

**Bringing up some Japanese heritage xD sorry if I used it incorrectly to all those Japanese speakers out there... Google Translate :\**

**I'm working on my Christmas surprise along with each chapter, but I'll make sure to update soon~**

**Keep leaving suggestions and comments! :)**


	16. Chapter 16: Blank Words

**Back with another update~**

**... I honestly have nothing to say other than that...**

**Anyways, enjoy!~**

* * *

><p>Chapter 16: Blank Words<p>

"I know you hate the suit, buddy, but you have to wear it," Tadashi sighed for what felt like the millionth time. Hiro was sprawled across his bed, refusing to look up from the pages of solved equations and graphs. Even though he had looked over his work many times, he stared intensely at the pages, not meeting Tadashi's eyes.

The teenager had his regularly neat hair combed back and his treasured hat lay on his bed. A crisp suit replaced the cardigan he usually had draped across his frame, and Hiro didn't like it. It was too formal, too serious.

"It looks stupid on me…" Hiro muttered, making a face at the thought of having to wear such a stuffy outfit.

It had been a week since Tadashi started going back to school. Everyday was the same thing: Tadashi goes to class, Hiro waits in the lab. It took a while, but Tadashi finally stopped pestering his brother every passing minute. However, he still made sure to call him after each class ended just to make sure. Their friends would go keep Hiro company when they were free, taking him out for fresh air or to get some snacks. The first time they did this, Tadashi had freaked out when he check the GPS and saw Hiro wasn't in the lab. After a frantic hour, the Hamada brothers found each other and cleared things up, which also involved apologies to several coffee shops and the police department.

"It'll only be for a few hours," Tadashi said sympathetically, pulling the small outfit out of the closet. "Come on, it's Aunt Cass's funeral. At least wear it to show respect to that."

Tears pricked Hiro's eyes at the mention of the event they were going to. "I don't wanna go…" he muttered. "It's so dumb. Why do people have to come to see a box get buried? I mean, nobody gathers around to see a dog bury a bone! Or a squirrel bury an acorn!" Hiro buried his face into a pillow, refusing to look at anything, especially Tadashi in the wretched suit.

Tadashi sighed. He knew his brother's anger only came from the stress and confusion of having to deal with their loss. He put Hiro's suit down and sat next to his little brother. Hiro didn't move when Tadashi sat down, face still buried in the pillow.

"Look," Tadashi started hesitantly. "I know that you're angry. I get that you're confused, trust me I am too. But at least come say goodbye to Aunt Cass one last time. Please?"

"I'm not angry!" Hiro yelled into the pillow, unconvincingly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tadashi muttered and he placed a hand on Hiro's head. "At least wear the top half. Come on, I'll help you change. With your arm still like that I doubt you can do it by yourself."

Grumbling something incoherent, Hiro rolled over and landed on his feet, stomping over to the suit. "Let's get this over with…" he muttered as Tadashi chuckled and walked back over to the suit.

* * *

><p>"Cass Hamada was a great woman. She was a loving and caring person, and a great mother," one of Hiro and Tadashi's relatives was standing at the microphone, tears falling from her eyes. Tadashi rolled his eyes and fought back a snort. <em>Empty words…<em>

All their relatives that were at the service were frauds. Fakes. They could care less for what happened to Aunt Cass and the brothers. When their parents died, Aunt Cass had been disgusted by their relatives' reaction. Rather than being concerned for two young boys and worried for their wellbeing, the leeches had been more worried about what was left of the Hamada fortune. It was obvious that several of them had only offered to adopt the brothers to get their slimy hands on the money. Others had refused to look at the new orphans, not wanting two extra mouths to feed.

Even now, none of the people that showed up even acknowledged the Hamada brothers' existence. Phonies, all of them. They were only there for their image. Standing on the stage speaking blank words.

Hiro sat in his chair, feet hanging a foot off of the floor. He was fiddling with his sling, anger still burning in his eyes. Listening to his horrid relatives' fake speeches didn't help; it only added fuel to the flame. Their friends sat next to them, all looking down in sorrow. Honey Lemon's usual bright fashion sense was replaced by a simple black dress. Her long hair was tied back in a neat bun. Even her glasses frame was changed to a black color. Wasabi and Fred wore suits, both men solemnly looking at the ground as one of the Hamada brothers uncles spoke. Seeing Fred wear a suit was something new, and if it weren't for the occasion, Tadashi would've laughed. Fred's hair was neatly combed back, his usual beanie stuffed in his pocket. Gogo wore dress pants and a formal dress shirt. Another thing you rarely see.

"Come on, Hiro. Our turn to speak," Tadashi whispered, nudging his little brother. Hiro grumbled and hopped out of his seat, muttering something under his breath as he held Tadashi's hand. Walking up to the microphone, the room fell silent and Tadashi cleared his throat. Disgust rose up his throat like bile as he scanned the room and saw all the heartless people. Tears in their eyes, but unfeeling hearts. None of them wanted to be there, but ones image is a very important thing.

"Aunt Cass was… an interesting person," Tadashi began. A small laugh echoed through the quiet service. "She always knew when something was wrong. She knew how to make things better. For both of us," he added as he smiled down to Hiro. His baby brother stared at the floor, refusing to look at the people in front of him. Tadashi took a deep breath and continued. "Aunt Cass always had a habit of telling us… that she loves us and she would always be there for us." He swallowed. " And I always had a habit of telling her that I'll do anything to protect our family." A shaky breathe. "I wasn't able to do that this time. But she kept her promise. She loves us, and even though she's gone, she is still here." His eyes began stinging, and he blinked the tears furiously away. _Don't forget your promise…_

"Hiro, wanna say something?" Tadashi whispered to his little brother, who was standing as still as a statue by his side. He angrily shook his head, but tears were streaming down his face. Then he pulled on Tadashi's sleeve, requesting the microphone.

"Aunt Cass was the best mom in the world," Hiro blubbered into the microphone. "I hope she's happy, wherever she is now…" Sniffing, he handed the microphone back to Tadashi, then looked down and silently kept crying. Tadashi placed it back into the holder, bowed to the audience, then took Hiro's hand and went back to their seats. Wasabi lightly patted Tadashi's back, and Hiro was silently sobbing into Honey Lemon's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Several of Aunt Cass's frequent customers had also made an appearance at the service. Mrs. Matsuda, a regular, had gone on a ten-minute rant of how Cass Hamada was the greatest person she had ever met in all her years, and of how she made the greatest coffee she had ever drank.<p>

After the service, Tadashi and Hiro stayed behind to say thank you to all those that showed up. Their friends promised to meet up with them later. Many relatives left as soon as they could; a couple had left in the middle of Mrs. Matsuda's speech.

Hiro was silent the whole time. As Tadashi bid their relatives farewell, Hiro stood in stony silence.

"You okay, buddy?" Tadashi asked, a little worried.

He nodded glumly, still looking down.

Whispers caught Tadashi's attention. Two of their distant aunts were gossiping in a corner.

"I heard that Cass only wanted the kids because of their money."

"I heard the same thing! But I also heard that she neglected them."

"Ohh, that explains why they're so close."

"Agreed. I have two boys, and they are an absolute nightmare when they're together."

"Excuse me," Tadashi walked over casually, seething on the inside. "I couldn't help but hear you two ladies talking about my _loving_ aunt?" He glared sharply at the two women. They huffed and walked away quickly.

"Come on, _otouto_," Tadashi sighed. "I think that's the last of them. We can go home now…"

"Okay, _nii-chan_," Hiro whispered back, blankly staring at the floor.

As they were walking out, a sharp voice stopped them. "Wait."

A beautiful Asian woman approached them. She wore a black dress with shiny black sequins and a split on the left side that ran up to her thigh. It looked more like a dress to wear to a party than to a funeral. A colorful fan was clenched in her hand and a black feather boa was wrapped around her body. A black hat with a veil on it rested in her dark hair, which was tied up in a loose bun. She looked like she was ready to walk down a runway. She had a big, tough looking guard by her side, dressed in a suit and sunglasses on his face.

"My name is Tomoe Sayaki," she said with a smile. It wasn't a kind smile. It was the kind of smile a predator gave its prey right before mercilessly taking its life.

"Hello. I'm Tadashi," the older Hamada replied cautiously, ever so slightly moving Hiro behind him. He didn't like the way this woman smiled. There was something off about it…

"Yes, I know," she replied coolly. "I heard that little eulogy you gave Cass. It was… touching."

"Thank you…" he replied hesitantly. "Did you know Aunt Cass?"

"Oh yes," she laughed. Even her laugh sounded off… There wasn't a trace of feeling in it. "We knew each other, way before you two were born." She smiled again, hunger lighting in her dark eyes. "Speaking of 'two'… may I speak to your little brother?"

"I'd preferred if you didn't," Tadashi replied quickly. This woman was seriously giving him a bad feeling. "He's a little tired from such a long day… and he's still hurt-"

"Surely he could spare a few second?" she asked, smiling and using her fan to gesture to her guard. He cracked his knuckle threateningly.

Tadashi swallowed. A small voice sounded behind him. "Dashi… it's ok…"

Hiro peaked out from behind his brother's legs, staring cautiously at the woman before them. Tadashi put a hand behind his little brothers back, reassuring the child.

"Hello," Hiro whispered.

The woman smiled again. Tadashi felt Hiro shudder when she knelt down to get a closer look at him. "Hello there, Hiro. I'm here to offer you an interesting proposition."

"No thank you," the child genius replied flatly. Many companies before had attempted to ask him to work for them, even though he was still a child. Hiro had rejected every one of them, ignoring the promise of great pay.

"Won't you hear me out?" she purred.

"No thank you," Hiro replied, more forcefully.

The woman sighed, then pulled a card out of her small black clutch purse. "Think about it, won't you?" She smiled one more time, then briskly walked out. The guard glared at the Hamada brothers one last time before following his mistress.

Hiro looked at the card in disgust before curling his fingers around it, crushing it into a small ball.

"Well, _you_ obviously didn't like her," Tadashi said lightly.

"She was scary…" Hiro replied, a small tremble in his voice. "And there was something… weird about her. Besides, you didn't like her either," he pointed out. Obviously he noticed Tadashi's dislike for her.

"Like you said," Tadashi said with a shrug, "there was something weird about her."

* * *

><p>"Cheh," Tomoe spit through her teeth. Those kids were smart. They realized something was wrong.<p>

"Is something bothering you, miss?" Her guard had caught up.

"Yes, you big oaf!" she spat. "Hurry up and get my ride!" She swung her purse out and smacked him in the chest.

"Oof!" The guard recoiled from the contact to his body. "Yes ma'am," he coughed, stumbling around the corner to look for the car.

Hissing in annoyance, Tomoe pulled out her phone.

"Hello, my little darling," a voice purred from the other end. "What honor it is to get a call from such a lady as fine as you."

"Oh save it," she hissed. "I met those brats and tried to strike a deal. Didn't work."

"I told you to leave the physical work to me," the voice growled.

"I got impatient," she snapped back. "I _want_ the younger one. He's mine. If I have him I can get what I want."

"Soon, dear. Project New Life is back."

Tomoe stopped. A smile slowly slid across her lips as she breathlessly asked, "Really? It's back?"

"If we can get the brothers then yes, it's back."

"Perfect!" she crowed. "I'm assuming you're still using _him_."

"Of course."

A car slowly rolled around the corner. The guard waved at Tomoe as he pulled up next to her.

"Gotta go," she sighed. "The buffoon you gave me is here. I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

><p>"Hiro! Time for your check up!"<p>

"Coming!" Hiro ran down the stairs, Mochi trailing closely at his heel. He slipped his sneakers on and patted Mochi's head before closing the door behind him.

"How long will we be there?" Hiro asked, straightening the helmet on his head.

Tadashi shrugged, starting his moped. "If you behave, we should be done in an hours. Plus, I have to get a refill on your medicine."

"Alright," Hiro nodded, clinging on to the back of his brother's shirt as they zipped down the busy streets of San Fransokyo.

* * *

><p>"Now take a deep breath in for me…"<p>

Listening to the doctor's instructions, Hiro inhaled, wincing slightly as the cold metal on the stethoscope touched his back. "…and out." Exhale.

"Okay, buddy, now one more time…"

Tadashi stood in the corner, carefully watching the doctor work with his brother. Aya stood next to him, ready to assist when needed.

"How's your arm feeling?"

Hiro shrugged. "It doesn't hurt. Tadashi makes sure to redress it everyday at the same time."

The doctor nodded approvingly at Tadashi. "Good. Glad to see someone as concerned as we are." Tadashi smiled nervously, warmed by the doctor's praise.

"Well, Mr. Hamada," the doctor spoke as he took the stethoscope out of his ears. "Hiro's shoulder is looking good. In fact, I think we can take the sling off. Keep redressing the wound for another week, and after that it should be fine to heal on its own. Aya will give you more ointment for it. As for the asthma, keep the inhaler around just in case. His lungs sound good, but just in case."

Tadashi nodded, thanking the doctor as he and Hiro walked out of the room with Aya. The nurse walked behind the counter and started refilling the pill bottle.

"Not bad for 6 weeks, Hiro," Aya said teasingly. "Thank goodness it was only a flesh wound. Imagine how long your arm would be in a sling if you hurt yourself a little lower down your arm. "

Hiro nodded, happily swinging his arm slowly side to side, glad for the use of his other arm. Tadashi chuckled, watching to make sure Hiro didn't go too far and reopen the wound again. "Thanks for your help, Aya. Do you have anything for nightmares?" Tadashi asked quietly, glancing to make sure Hiro couldn't hear.

"All I can advise is sleeping pills," Aya sighed. "Only time will tell if they go away. Just make sure to be there if he ever has a nightmare. Has he had any recently?"

"No, last one was the day after he got back. But… I'm just scared he'll hurt himself… The first time, he held his breath like he was underwater… What if… something else happens? And he…"

"Calm down, Tadashi," Aya said sharply. "He'll be fine as long as you're with him. He needs as much support as possible right now. Just stay with him, okay?"

Tadashi nodded, still a little unsure. Looking at his little brother, who was practically springing with joy, he felt happiness course through his body. _As long as I'm with him…_

* * *

><p>"I'm here, darling!" Tomoe purred as she dramatically burst through the door. "Now tell me <em>all<em> about how Project New Life is going!"

* * *

><p><strong>Introducing a new character?! :O<strong>

**The plot thickens ;)**

**Aunt Cass's funeral though...;A;**

**How do you guys think the story will continue from here on out?**

**Please keep leaving comments and suggestions!~**


	17. Dearest: A Christmas Special

**Merry Christmas everybody! :D**

**As promised, one Christmas Special for you to enjoy on this amazing day :)**

**A quick shoutout to woofwolf. Happy belated birthday! Dedicated two scenes to you (see if you can figure out which ones) ;)**

**So, a little background info. This is set in the same timeline as the actual story, just a bit into the future (so after everything in the original story happened) Tadashi is 24 and Hiro is 14**

**So, without further ado, enjoy this Special!~**

* * *

><p>Dearest: A Christmas Special<p>

"Bot fighting _again_!" Tadashi growled, looking at the GPS on his phone angrily. The 24-year-old grabbed a jacket and raced outside, muttering curses under his breath.

"Tadashi, I sense that you are-" Baymax walked out of the kitchen with Mochi in his arms just as Tadashi slammed the door. The robot blinked, then stared fondly at the fat cat. "Hairy baby!"

* * *

><p>"You got nothing on me, shrimp!" A muscular man with tattoos on every inch of his arm growled at the cocky 14-year-old sitting in front of him. His fingers ran frantically across his controller, struggling to keep up.<p>

Hiro rolled his eyes. "_Please_," he muttered, bored out of his mind. This guy was too easy. His bot was created more strongly for offense, with it's twin blades and heavily weighted arms. It was nothing against Megabot, who was designed well for both offense and defense. Twiddling with his controller, Hiro played around with the man's bot a few more minutes. The tattooed man growled furiously, still fighting to win. Finally, Hiro got bored. More so than he already was. Sighing, he pressed a few more buttons. Megabot separated into three pieces, then connected together in a line. Quickly, the little robot winded itself up its opponent and successfully tore it to pieces.

"No!" the tattooed man screamed. The crowd cheered as Hiro grabbed his winnings, a smug grin plastered across his face.

"Sorry, dude," Hiro chuckled. "Guess your bot wasn't strong enough." The crowd had dissipated already, leaving only Hiro and a few stragglers.

Tattooed man's eyes blazed in cold fury. "You're gonna pay for this kid," he hissed. "You lost me all my money!" He snapped his fingers, and the few stragglers quickly joined behind him. Together, the group of men slowly ganged up on the 14 year-old.

Hiro swallowed. This isn't good. "Hey, guys," he said weakly. "Let's talk about this." He backed up until he felt his back hit the wall of the alley. They cracked their knuckles threateningly. "You wouldn't hit a kid, would you?" he squeaked, hands raised defensively in front of his face.

An engine echoed across the dark alleyway. Lights lit up the enclosed space, startling the gang and the teenager. Out of nowhere, Tadashi sped in on his moped, skidding to a halt in between the two sides.

"Hiro!" Tadashi glanced at his brother, relief and anger flooding over him.

"Tadashi!" Hiro grinned and jumped onto the back of the moped. Tadashi jammed the helmet over his younger brother's wild hair, then sped back down the way he had come.

"We'll get you for this kid!" tattoo man yelled after them, raising a fist in fury.

* * *

><p>"Wow, big brother. I don't know <em>how<em> you do it, but you _always_ get there at the right time!" Hiro gushed as Tadashi unlocked the front door. "Oh, but you should see what I won today! Look at all this-_Ow_!" He rubbed his head where Tadashi had aimed a quick blow. Glaring at his brother, Hiro asked, "What was that for?!"

Tadashi glared back. "_What were you thinking, bonehead_!" He grabbed Hiro behind the neck and steered the teenager into the living room. Sitting him down on the couch, Tadashi crossed his arm and glared at his little brother. "Bot fighting is _illegal_! And dangerous! Do you _know_ what could happen?! You're lucky I showed up when I did!"

More fury washed across him when Hiro shrugged nonchalantly. He leaned back into the couch, putting both arms behind his head. A grin was plastered across his face and he rolled his eyes. "Bot fighting is _not_ illegal," he defended. "Now _betting_ on a bot fights, _that's_ illegal. But look at all this money!" He pulled out two huge wads of money, excitement lighting in his eyes.

Disappointment fell across Tadashi's face. Hiro's smile fell when he saw his brother's discontent. Tadashi sighed, fixing the baseball hat on his head. "One of these days, you're gonna realize money isn't everything."

"Why do you care, Tadashi?" Hiro asked angrily. "It's just a little harmless fun."

"What _worries_ me," Tadashi hissed, "is that you're ruining your future! You can do great things! But you're wasting it all on some stupid, _dangerous_, _illegal_ bot fights!"

"Well, it's better than staying in class all day, listening to people tell me stuff I already know!" Hiro jumped to his feet in fury, clenching his hands into tight fists.

"Ugh! Why can't you see how dangerous this is!" Tadashi groaned. "I thought you were smarter than that, Hiro!"

Anger and loneliness crashed down on Hiro. He glared at his older brother, then coldly replied, "What do you know? You're not my dad!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He regretted the stupid sentences that his stupid brain had put together. Because as soon as the words were spoken, Tadashi's face filled with shock and pain. Shock at his words, pain when they stabbed into his heart.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Tadashi trudged up the stairs and into the room. He fell heavily on his bed, closing his eyes and sighed. _And it's only two day before Christmas…_

Hiro stayed on the couch, silent. Guilt washed over him as he looked at Megabot. All they ever said to each other these days were words of anger. Hiro didn't mean to say those things, but it just slipped out… He couldn't remember the last time they had sat down and had a decent conversation. _But I need that money…_

* * *

><p>The brothers didn't talk for the rest of the night. When Hiro finally went back to the room, Tadashi had pulled the paper screen and separated their sides of the rooms. Hiro swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Suddenly, he felt deserted. Loneliness from not having his brother in his life for the past two years. Ever since he accepted the position from school. Turning off the lights, he curled up in his blanket, not bothering to change out of his clothes. Sighing, Hiro shut his eyes and tried to sleep as his heart ached from the pain of being alone.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Hiro slept in while Tadashi went to meet up with his friends. They still had some <em>extremely<em> last second presents to buy. Tadashi had found what he was getting Hiro, but he had yet to buy it. _I wonder if Hiro even got me anything this year…_

The 24-year-old had been busy with his new position as head of San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. He was the youngest person to ever accept that position, taking it at the ripe age of 22, and he wanted to do things right. He felt guilty when he realized he had been neglecting his little brother, who had just started his first year at SFIT. They were spending less time together, slowly drifting further apart. When Tadashi was home, he was either too tired to talk, or Hiro was at school, working late at the lab. Recently they've only argued about Hiro's bot fighting tendencies, which only widened the wedge between them.

"Why the long face, bro?" Fred asked as they all walked through the mall, each holding a cup of coffee. Over the years, Fred had created his own super hero franchise. The "Big Hero 6" as he called them. Honey Lemon became head of the chemistry department at SFIT. Wasabi worked with the lasers at NASA; they were trying to create a laser that could possibly reach to the sun. Gogo became a well-known figure in the roller derby world. When she wasn't racing she was going on bike deliveries throughout San Fransokyo.

"It's Hiro," Tadashi sighed, barely sipping his drink.

"Little guy go bot fighting again?" Wasabi asked sympathetically.

"Yeah…" Tadashi sighed again. "We got into a pretty big argument last night… Doesn't he see how dangerous it is? I mean, he got extremely lucky the past few time! If it wasn't for the GPS…" Tadashi shuddered at the thought of what could happen if Hiro hadn't been found. _Why couldn't his brother see that?_

"You should talk to him!" Honey Lemon advised.

"Every time I try, he pushes me away…"

"Do we need to make an intervention for a 14-year-old?" Gogo asked sarcastically as she popped her bubble gum.

Tadashi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get this shopping over with… Trying to buy gifts on Christmas Eve has got to be one of the _worst_ ideas we've ever come up with."

* * *

><p>As Tadashi predicted, they ended up spending the whole day at the mall, running around frantically for presents. They didn't get back until past 9:30 pm. Waving goodbye to his friends, Tadashi opened the door to see Baymax petting Mochi in the living room.<p>

Muttering hello, he walked up the stairs and sighed, remembering the argument he and Hiro had the night before. _You're not my dad!_ echoed through his ears, stabbing deeper into his heart.

It was true, no matter how much it hurt. Tadashi could never be anything more than a brother, a friend. Trying to be a parent was only making their relationship rockier.

"Hiro? I'm home," Tadashi called hesitantly, knocking on the door of their room. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday… I was scared something happened, and I know I'm not dad… but- Hiro?"

His little brother hadn't responded at all. Worried, Tadashi threw the door of their room open, only to see an open window. "Hiro!" Pulling out his phone, he looked at the screen and cursed when the battery died. Spending all day at the mall and looking up gifts had drained the battery. "Dammit!" he growled, running back down the stairs.

Baymax was sitting on the floor next to Mochi. The robot looked up when Tadashi came barreling down the steps. "Hello, Tadashi. What seems to be the problem?"

"Hiro's gone, Baymax," Tadashi explained breathlessly. "Did you see him today?"

"I was activated this morning when he stubbed his toe. He stayed in his room all day after that. I stayed down here with the hairy baby." Baymax said, stroking the cat down the spine.

"Explains why he went out the window," Tadashi groaned. "My phone died, so I can't find him right now. Can you contact Honey Lemon, Fred, Wasabi and Gogo?"

Baymax nodded. "I will contact them now."

Tadashi smiled. "Thanks buddy. Tell them what happened. I'm going out." With that, he ran out the door.

"Contacting: Tadashi's friends." When they all picked up, Baymax quickly caught them up to speed. They all agreed to meet up and look for Hiro as soon as possible. After Baymax hung up, he sat back down with Mochi. A few minutes later… "Oh no…"

The low battery sign was flashing on the screen in his stomach.

* * *

><p>"Yes!" Hiro crowed. The crowd was going wild as "Little Yama" had its head ripped off by Megabot. Grabbing his winnings, Hiro quickly counted the money he had in total. <em>$500, $600, $700…<em> Excitement coursed through his body. He had enough!

Pocketing the money and his robot, he triumphantly turned to get the present. Just as he was turning to walk down the alley, a rough hand grabbed his left shoulder and slammed it into the hard brick wall. Pain shot up the teenagers arm as he felt the bone pop out of the joint. Dislocated. A wail of pain escaped his lips as he fell to the floor, clutching his shoulder in agony. It hung limply by his side, pain racing down his arm. Squinting through the tears, Hiro caught the face of Yama and tattoo man from the night before. Tattoo man was grinning wildly, satisfaction of getting revenge blazing in his dark eyes.

"You know what to do," Yama growled, walking away as the gang of people behind him approached the injured teen.

Hiding the whimper that threatened to escape from his lips, Hiro crawled back toward the wall. Using his right arm, he pulled himself up slowly, refusing to look intimidated. "I've been waiting for this, kid," tattoo man hissed in delight, cracking his knuckles.

Glancing around, Hiro saw a metal pipe just by him right foot. _Come on, Hiro… Stall_. "I won that money fair and square," he said haughtily. Big mistake.

Tattoo man grabbed his injured shoulder and slammed it against the wall again. A gasp of pain was choked off by the punch that connected to his stomach. Falling to the floor again and gasping for breath, a boot came out of nowhere and kicked him right where the punch had hit. _Well that'll be a bruise…_

"You hustled us," tattoo man hissed. He grabbed a handful of Hiro's hair and yanked him up to face him, ignoring the cry of pain as the teen's hair was pulled against its roots. "You tricked me out of my money!"

"I won it," Hiro gasped, "and you're being a sore loser."

Now or never. Grabbing the pipe, Hiro swung it with as much strength as he could muster in his right arm. It wasn't much, but it worked. The pipe connected with the side of tattoo man's head, and he let go of the youth in surprise. Scrambling to his feet, Hiro quickly ran down the alley with the gang chasing after him. His short breathes turned into gasps of pain as his stomach ached from the kick and the punch. Climbing up a fire escape ladder, he glanced behind him to see the angry men right behind him. One man grabbed his ankle, gripping it tightly. Gritting his teeth in pain, Hiro shook his leg and kicked in an attempt to get him to let go. Unfortunately, the scrawny adolescent was defenseless against a full-grown man.

It was all a rush. The man yanked on his ankle and he came tumbling down the ladder. The air escaped his lungs when his back connected to the hard concrete floor. Another well planted kick dug into his ribs. White spots danced in front of his eyes as his breathing turned into pained grunts while more kicks hit his body.

Gathering up his remaining strength, he timed his next move with the kicks. When he figured out when they would all bring their legs in to kick again, Hiro pushed himself up on his feet and charged back down the alley. Fear and adrenaline pushed him forward, making him temporarily forget about the pain in his shoulder, ankle and body. Turning a corner, he held his breath and waited in the shadows. The shouts of the gang echoed down the alley as they chased after him.

"Hey, where'd he go?!"

"I don't know man, I saw him run down this way!"

"Maybe he went down that way!"

"Well, what're you waiting for!" A low _thud_ sounded as one man hit another.

"Let's get that brat already!"

Their footsteps continued to echo down the alleyway until it finally disappeared. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Hiro sank down to the floor, holding onto his bruised stomach. Finally, the pain set in and he blacked out.

* * *

><p>"Did you find him?" Tadashi asked worriedly. He was sitting behind Gogo on her motorcycle and yelling into her phone as the speedy woman zipped through the city. They had stopped and checked almost every known bot fighting area in San Fransokyo, fear coursing through Tadashi's body as each place only came up empty.<p>

"Not yet, dude!" Wasabi yelled back. "Honey's still looking, and Fred is up in the chopper with Heathcliff! We're still looking!"

Tadashi hung up and looked around at the new location they were in. No sign of the small 14-year-old.

"We'll find him, Tadashi," Gogo said reassuringly. "He's a smart kid. He knows how to keep himself out of trouble."

* * *

><p>A groan left Hiro's lips. Trying to stand up, he squeezed his eyes shut again when nausea gripped his chest. Yellow spots popped in his vision and every part of his body throbbed from the pain and the cold. He stood slowly, holding the walls for support and fighting the urge to puke. Shivering, he carefully made his way back out into the street, a slight limp from his injured ankle. The streets were empty. <em>Well duh…<em> Hiro thought to himself miserably. _It's Christmas Eve… No idiot would be walking out here alone_. Another shudder shook his small frame. _Or in this cold…_

Checking his phone, satisfaction surged through his aching body when he saw the time. 10:47 pm. He had 13 minutes left.

New energy pumping through his body, he started limping down the sidewalk, wincing every time his injured ankle hit the floor. Glancing at each shop, a gapped tooth grin broke through his face when he saw the store was miraculously still open. They usually closed early…

Luckily, the owners were a kind Japanese couple. Hiro had entered their shop many times, and they had gotten used to the young teen's presence.

Yanking open the door, Hiro yelled, "Hi _Ojii-chan_! Do you still have it?"

Looking up, the old man behind the counter smiled. "Ahh, _Hiro-kun_. _Konbanwa_! Yes, we have one left. Is blue okay?"

"That's perfect, _ojii-chan_. And can you wrap it please?"

"Of course! Anything for my favorite customer," the old man chuckled. He frowned slightly when he saw Hiro's face. "My, my, _Hiro-kun_… you look pale. Were you running around in the cold?"

Hiro grimaced at the memory of his beating. "It's nothing, _ojii-chan_. Don't worry about it. So how much is it?"

"Let's see…" muttering under his breath and looking at a calculator, he said, "With tax that'll be… $879.36."

A small victory cheer played in Hiro's mind as he pulled out his winnings, accumulated from the past three days. "Here you go, _ojii-chan_. $900."

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Now where did you get all this money, _Hiro-kun_?"

Hiro waved a hand nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter now… please keep the change!" Grabbing the package, Hiro quickly remembered his manners and bowed deeply to the kind old man, ignoring the stab of pain to his stomach. "_Arigatou gozaimasu_, _ojii-chan_! Happy Holidays!" He quickly ran down the street before the old man could ask any more questions.

* * *

><p>11:01<p>

Baymax was stumbling through the streets with a terrified Mochi clinging to his head. The robot was swaying dangerously side to side, hiccupping and laughing at every little thing. The few people that were still awake all looked at the robot in surprise. It's not everyday you see a white robot walking around town looking more than a little inebriated.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" Baymax zoomed his cameras in to focus on a middle-aged woman wearing a thick fur coat. She had several presents tucked under her arm.

"Haiiirrryy baabbbyyy," Baymax cooed, stroking the woman's thick coat. Surprised, the woman jumped back, dropping all her packages.

"Oh no," Baymax said, stooping down to pick up the boxes. As he bent down, Mochi screeched and jumped off when Baymax tipped lower, head hitting the sidewalk. "Hehe. Healthcare." _Hic_.

"Umm…" the woman backed away a little. Quickly scooping up the boxes, she wished the robot a nice holiday and hurried away.

The fat cat stood on the sidewalk, not appreciating being outside in the cold. Meowing angrily, he head-butted the white robot, who continued to snicker with his head on the floor and a foot in the air. "Low batttteeerrrrryyyyy…"

Nudging the deflated robot back to his feet, Mochi wrapped his tail around the robots leg, ready to lead the intoxicated robot home.

* * *

><p>11:11<p>

"Maybe the little man went home already?" Wasabi said hopefully. "Wouldn't hurt to check."

"Yeah, Tadashi. We could just be going on a wild goose chase," Gogo muttered, teeth chattering. "It's cold. And it's almost midnight. We should just go home and wait."

Tadashi sighed. "Yeah, let's go back… My phone should be done charging by now…" Driving home, Tadashi was surprised to see the front door open. "Hiro?"

The lights were on and everything was left untouched. Hiro's shoes weren't by the door, and his jacket wasn't on the couch, where the teen usually threw it. Just to make sure, Tadashi went back up to their room. Aside from the usual mess that was strewn around Hiro's side of the room, the room was empty. Nothing.

Sighing, he flopped down onto the couch, waiting for Gogo to park and the rest of his friends to arrive.

But… something was wrong. It was too quiet. And the door had been opened. What was it?

Thinking, Tadashi dug through his brain, trying to remember what it was. Did he lock the doors to the labs? Check. Sign off all the papers that were piling up in his new office? Check. What was it… Was it a burglar? Or did someone kidnap Hiro and leave a ransom note? What if someone planted a bomb in their shower?! Usually Baymax would tell him not to overthi-

Shoot.

That's what it was.

Baymax and Mochi were gone.

* * *

><p>11:13<p>

Hiro wobbled back home, shivering and hugging the package to his sore body. Luckily, his face hadn't been injured much, only a few scrapes here and there. Just to make sure, Hiro had pulled his hood up to hide his face in case anyone stared. Every part of him wanted to curl up and sleep, but he knew he had to get home soon. Or Tadashi would get mad again…

Spots started dancing in his vision again. The adrenaline that numbed the pain before had died down, leaving him hurting and in agony again. Squeezing his eyes shut, he squatted down and hugged his knees, pressing his forehead against them and taking in slow, deep breaths. The world was still spinning when he got up and his arm was hanging limply from not being set.

Turning the corner, he sighed when he saw the lights on. Tadashi was home. And waiting.

Brain struggling to find an excuse, he reached for the door when it was yanked open by Tadashi. Anger sparked in his older brother's eyes when he saw Hiro, but it was quickly replaced by uneasiness. "Come on," he snapped, pushing past his younger brother, not noticing the hiss of pain that sounded from the younger Hamada's mouth. "Baymax is missing now, too."

* * *

><p>11:18<p>

Baymax stared at the sign with half-lidded eyes. Everything was blurry; his camera wasn't focusing properly.

Mochi was meowing impatiently at the robots feet. Baymax was still squinting at the sign. Big Hero 6? The super hero team Fred had created. "Hehe…" Baymax chuckled as he pointed at the picture. One of the characters had his fist out. Baymax bumped the image with his own fist, then wiggled his fingers and trilled, "Bah-a-la-la-la!"

Mochi head-butted the robot impatiently, leading him back down the street. "WWwWwwHHHhhhHHhEEeeeeEEEEEeeee!" Baymax chirped as they continued down the street. When the cat meowed impatiently again, Baymax giggled. "I am not fast, _hic_."

* * *

><p>11:27<p>

"What were you doing, bonehead?" Tadashi asked as they ran down the street, following the GPS trail on his charged phone. Hiro was doing his best to keep up with Tadashi, whose strides were so much bigger. In his effort to keep up, he was also trying to hide his limp. His ankle was burning, and his chest felt like it would explode.

Hiro dodged away from the elbow Tadashi threw out at him. He didn't need another reminder of the throbbing pain that was clinging at his body. "Nothing…" he muttered, still gripping on tightly to the present in his hand.

Tadashi glanced at the box, then asked, "What's that?"

"Nothing! None of your business!" Hiro snapped, losing his patience from exhaustion and pain. His chest throbbed, each breath getting harder to take in. He wrapped his uninjured arm around his ribs, and gasping when his rib exploded with more pain.

Anger sparked in Tadashi's chest. "Look, Hiro," he hissed. "I'm just trying to keep you safe, and if _you_ can't-" He stopped when he looked over and saw Hiro wasn't by his side. "Hiro?"

His younger brother had stopped a few feet back, clutching his chest in pain. Tadashi walked over to his younger brother, concern washing out the fury. "Hiro? You okay little bro?"

He placed a hand on Hiro's left shoulder in concern.

Oh no…

Hiro collapsed on the floor, gasping and holding his shoulder in agony. His face was contorted in agony, tears brimming in his eyes. "Hiro!"

"Don't…touch me!" Hiro gasped, pushing himself away from Tadashi's outstretched hands. "You worked so hard on pushing me away after you got your position at the lab," he spat, the months of pain and loneliness making him delirious. "You have your friends, you have your job, you have everything! You didn't bother checking on _me_, seeing if _I_ needed you. What happened to 'family first', huh?!" Tears were falling from the teenagers face, much to his dislike. Hiro couldn't remember the last time he had cried in front of Tadashi…

Hugging the gift like a lifeline, Hiro started bawling loudly on the streets, not caring who saw, not caring if Tadashi thought he was being a baby. The pain from that night and the pain from the loneliness he suffered those two years had broken through, and he was letting them all out.

* * *

><p>11:29<p>

"I sense… a d-d-distress… sound, _hic_, hehe…" Baymax stumbled around, spinning slightly and murmuring, "whhhheeeeee," arms out to steady himself. Scanning around, he recognized his creator and his little brother. "TtTTttaaaAAaDddaaasssSShhhHhHHiiiIIiii!" the robot trilled, stumbling towards the brothers.

Tadashi jumped a bit when he looked at the robot, surprised when he saw Mochi leading the drunken robot towards them. "Baymax! Mochi! Thank god you guys are okay," he sighed deeply, troubled by what Hiro had said. Tadashi had him cradled carefully in his arms, both of them sitting on the floor. His little brother had stopped crying, tired out by the sudden outburst and pain. He had fallen asleep, still clinging on to the box.

"Baymax, I need you to scan Hiro for me…"

"Sccaannnnniiinnnggg… hehe. Scan, scan, scan…" the robot sang, twirling around until he plopped down onto the floor, hiccupping and giggling.

Tadashi sighed. "Let's go home, buddy. Get you all charged up." Tadashi carefully lifted Hiro up. His brother jerked a little when Tadashi moved his arm, but otherwise stayed unconscious.

Baymax giggled as he struggled back onto his feet, hands outstretched in front of him even when he was up. "He jumped out a wWwiiIIinNNnnndDddoooOOWwwWww!" Baymax said excitedly, pointing at Hiro's sleeping form.

* * *

><p>11:41<p>

Luckily, they weren't too far away from home. It took a while to get Baymax to walk straight, but finally, the Hamada brothers and their robot and cat stumbled into their home. Tadashi had called his friends and told them that everything was alright. He also agreed to meet up tomorrow for a Christmas feast together at Fred's mansion. It was their turn to make desserts this year. Time to pull out some of Aunt Cass's old recipes…

Placing Hiro gently down on the couch, Tadashi grabbed his robotics project and led him to his charging station. "Come on, Baymax, one step at a time…" Tadashi grunted as he helped him get over the step. It took several tries before the robot finally stepped into the pod and started charging. Mochi had curled up by the couch, exhausted from dealing with the drunken robot all night. "Note to self," Tadashi muttered quietly. "Reprogram Baymax and get rid of that drunken state when he's low on battery…"

A small moan came from the couch. Immediately, Tadashi was by Hiro's side, holding his hand gingerly and pushing the mess of hair from his face. "…Dashi?..." he murmured groggily, pain thick in his voice.

"Hey, knucklehead…" Tadashi whispered, holding a glass of water to his lips. Hiro drank thirstily. It didn't take long for him to drain the whole glass. "How you feeling?"

"Like you care," Hiro grumbled, remembering his annoyance with his brother. He curled around the box, keeping as far away from Tadashi as the couch allowed.

Wordlessly, Tadashi scooped Hiro up into a big (but careful) embrace. Shocked, Hiro tried struggling, only to hiss in pain when it aggravated his bruised body. "Let go, Tadashi!" Hiro snapped. "You don't have to pretend to care!"

"I'm not pretending," Tadashi murmured quietly, hugging his brother even tighter. "You were right. Family _always_ comes first. Thanks for reminding me," Tadashi smiled and knocked his forehead against his brothers.

Hiro looked surprised, then tears formed in his brown eyes. "I was lonely…" he blubbered, burying his face into Tadashi's shoulder. "W-we never talk anymore! A-and every time we talk now is just arguments!..."

"I know, I know…" Tadashi said sadly. "I promise I'll spend more time with you. It was selfish of me to put my job first… _you're_ my first and topmost priority, not some stupid position."

"Really?" Hiro sniffed, staring tearfully at Tadashi.

"Really. Even if I have to ditch meetings and cancel appointments," Tadashi said, drawing an X over his heart with his finger.

Hiro rolled his eyes as he rubbed them to dry his tears. "Yeah, right. You love working at the lab."

"So do you," Tadashi replied defensively. "How about this… Why don't you help me run the robotics section when you have time? That way I can have a less busy schedule, and we can spend more time at the lab together."

"Ugh, work…" Hiro groaned mockingly, making a face, then broke into a gapped tooth grin. "I'd love working with you, _Tada-nii_."

Happiness bloomed inside Tadashi. He hadn't heard Hiro use that nickname for him in so long… Tadashi smiled and gave Hiro another hug. "Come on, bonehead. Let's get those injuries looked at."

* * *

><p>"My sensors indicate that your humerus has separated from the scapula at the glenohumeral joint. You also have several contusions on your abdominal regions, a contusion your 7th rib, and a grade 1 ankle ligament injury." Baymax reported after he was fully charged. Tadashi's face had grown more and more horrified with each injury listed. By the last injury, Hiro had to grab on to Tadashi's cardigan to keep him from charging out the door and looking for the men that caused the damages.<p>

"So," Tadashi sighed, "dislocated left shoulder, bruises on your stomach and rib and a mildly sprained ankle."

"I know what he means…" Hiro muttered.

"I will perform Milch's method to set you arm," Baymax announced. "But it is advised that you see a doctor as soon as possible."

"I'll take him to a hospital tomorrow," Tadashi said warily. "Let him rest a little tonight… we can use the sling from that time…"

"I was seven, Tadashi," Hiro said while rolling his eyes. "There is _no_ way it'll still fit me."

"We'll see then," Tadashi laughed. "Then we can prove if you've grown at all over the past seven years."

"Haha, very funny," Hiro said sarcastically, wincing when Baymax started carefully rotating his injured arm.

"Need a pain killer?" Tadashi offered worriedly. "Aspirin? Anything?"

"No, I'm good," Hiro sighed. "Stomach is starting to hurt though…"

"Alright, let's see it…"

Hiro hesitantly lifted his shirt up to his chest, wincing when the movement caused a stab of pain to erupt. Tadashi stared at the exposed flesh in distress. Large purple bruises were blossomed across his delicate skin. Blotches of purple continued up to his chest, the deepest purple set right where Baymax said the bruised rib was.

"It's not as bad as it looks…" Hiro said quietly, grimacing again when Baymax moved his arm a little more aggressively, preparing to set it back into the joint.

"Sure it's not," Tadashi muttered, standing up to grab some ice and DerMend. A small high-pitched yelp of pain echoed through the house along with a small _pop_. Hiro's shoulder was set back in it's original position.

Walking back with some painkillers, Tadashi handed the sling to Baymax. "Lay down," Tadashi ordered as Baymax fiddled with the strap on the sling.

Throwing Tadashi a resentful look, Hiro reluctantly laid back, exposing his injured belly.

"So are you gonna tell me how you got these injuries in the first place?" Tadashi asked calmly as he spread the ointment over Hiro's stomach, carefully massaging at the same time.

Hiro shrugged. "You can probably guess… bot fighting gone wrong." He winced as Tadashi gently rubbed ointment over his bruised rib.

"Do I get anything other than that? Like… maybe a face?"

"Nope," Hiro replied quickly.

"Why not?" Tadashi asked as he placed the ice packs on his brother's belly.

"Because you'll do something stupid," Hiro answered simply. He shuddered at the coldness of the ice resting on his stomach. "You'll go after them."

"Hell yeah I'll go after them…" Tadashi muttered darkly.

"And I don't want you to do that," Hiro explained. "Ankle hurts…"

"Can't do anything but wrap it up in ice, buddy," Tadashi stood to get more ice and some bandages. "If we're not careful you'll freeze over on the couch," he chuckled.

Hiro rolled his eyes, biting his lips as Tadashi carefully wrapped his foot up.

"I have fixed the sling," Baymax announced proudly, holding the elongated sling over his head.

"No way," Hiro said in dismay. Much to his disappointment, the sling he had used when he was injured in his childhood still fit. "It actually fits?"

"Ha! You didn't grow at all!" Tadashi laughed, arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Shut up!" Hiro muttered, face flushing bright red.

"It's ok to be little, bonehead," Tadashi chortled, wiping a tear from his eye.

"I'm not little!"

He rested a hand in Hiro's head and ruffled his messy hair. "You'll always be my little brother."

* * *

><p>"What time is it?" Hiro yawned. Tadashi had insisted to continue to baby his brother, despite Hiro's complaining. Currently, to the teen's embarrassment, he had his head rested in Tadashi's lap.<p>

Tadashi glanced at the clock. "11:59," he reported. "You should get some rest. First thing tomorrow we're going to the hospital."

"Mm-hmm," Hiro murmured sleepily, closing his eyes. Suddenly, they shot open again. "It's almost Christmas!" he said excitedly as he sat up, only to lie back down with a low hiss when his bruised body complained.

"Calm down, Hiro", Tadashi placed a hand on Hiro's head and gently pushed him back down. "Don't forget you're still hurt."

"Yeah, yeah, right," Hiro muttered absent-mindedly, staring at the clock. 30 seconds left. Hiro grinned. "You better love your present."

Tadashi glanced at Hiro in surprise. "You got me a present?"

"Well, yeah, I mean… that's kinda the point of Christmas? Presents and family time?" Guilt burned through Tadashi again. While he was busy, Hiro still desperately clung onto their brotherhood. Tadashi cursed himself for being blind to all the attempts Hiro made to mend their family bonds.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the clock struck 12. Midnight. It was Christmas Day.

Hiro grinned and gave Tadashi a quick one-armed hug. "Merry Christmas, _nii-chan_!"

Taken aback, Tadashi returned the hug slowly, patting Hiro lightly on the back.

"Here, open your present!" Hiro reached around Tadashi and carefully picked up the neatly wrapped package. Shoving it into his older brother's hands, Hiro sat up, eagerly waiting for him to open it.

"Shouldn't we wait till morning?" Tadashi asked wearily. He had had a long day of shopping (thank god he managed to find Hiro's present), worrying about Hiro and running around looking for both him and Baymax.

"No! It's Christmas now, so you might as well do it now," Hiro responded stubbornly. "I didn't get beat up just for you to stall opening it, Tadashi."

"Did you steal this from a gang or something?" Tadashi asked lightly, while inside his stomach twisted into knots. _What did he mean by that?_

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Just open it."

"Okay, okay…" Tadashi quickly ripped off the wrapping paper.

He froze when he saw his present.

"Hiro…" Tadashi whispered. "How did you… when- wha-?"

"I saw you staring at it once when we went into the tech store," Hiro shrugged.

"How did you get the money for this?!" Then it hit him. "Don't tell me…"

"Three straight days of bot fighting," Hiro crowed proudly. "People were betting big these past couple of days because the holidays are so close, so I decided, what the heck. I needed to make $900 bucks some way or another…"

"Y-you could've just asked me!" Tadashi said incredulously, still in disbelief at what he was holding.

"That defeats the purpose of it being a 'gift'." Hiro smiled widely at Tadashi's shocked expression. "Do you like it?"

Tadashi couldn't believe it. It was a brand new, dark blue laptop. The very laptop he had been longing for the past year. His old laptop had decided to crap out almost a year ago, and he needed a new one. Sure, with his income and the money their parents left for them, he could've easily bought it himself. But with his busy schedule at the school, and the busyness of taking care of Hiro and housing fees, Tadashi had almost no free time to himself, let alone enough time to buy a laptop.

"It's got 500 GB of storage, great graphics, light weight, easy to carry, newest design…" Hiro began listing off. Tadashi hardly heard him. He was too fascinated with the piece of technology in his hands.

Tadashi stared at his sleek new laptop in shocked delight. He grabbed Hiro and gave him a big bear hug, practically rubbing his face against Hiro's, but quickly released his grip when Hiro inhaled sharply as his bruises were aggravated again. "You stupid idiot!" Tadashi laughed as he ruffled Hiro's hair enthusiastically. "You didn't have to go through all that just to get me this gift, you know."

"I wanted to make the money myself," Hiro explained, trying to duck out of Tadashi's arms. No luck. "To get it from my own skills."

"Then get a _job_, don't go bot fighting!"

"Tadashi," Hiro scoffed. "Please. I'm 14. If I walked into a store asking for a job, they'd all think I'm some high school drop out and send me back out the door. Besides, I was running out of time."

"Aww, thanks little brother," Tadashi cooed, still holding him in a deep embrace. "But next time you get such an expensive gift, just borrow the money. Don't risk your life bot fighting. It's not worth it."

"Sorry," Hiro said sheepishly, then grimaced. "But it's so fun!"

Tadashi sighed. "You, _otouto_, have a problem."

"I know," Hiro laughed, then innocently offered, "I won't go bot fighting anymore."

"Right," Tadashi snorted. "Why do I have a hard time believing that."

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the evening laughing and catching up. Tadashi made them both a cup of hot chocolate. Hiro sipped at the drink, appreciating the warmth that settled comfortably in his aching stomach. They decided to decorate the Christmas tree that was standing in the corner of the living room. It had been set up a few days ago, but left bare and undecorated. As a bonding opportunity, Tadashi pulled out the old decorations that had been left to collect dust in their extra room. Opening the box and coughing as the dust flew up, Tadashi and Hiro laughed at all the ornaments, history of the seven years that had gone by.<p>

They used to have a tradition where they would each paint and decorate three Christmas ornaments. Whoever made the best ornament (judged by their friends) would get an extra cookie during Christmas dinner. The tradition died when Tadashi graduated college and became head of the school, but they still had all the ornaments in a box.

Hiro pulled out each of the ornaments, laughing at the memories as he handed them to Tadashi, who hung them up on the tree.

"Look at this!" Hiro laughed. "Remember this one? Our first Christmas after Aunt Cass."

"Oh yeah," Tadashi chuckled, looking at the ornament in question. It was a simple, white ornament with Baymax's face sloppily painted on. This was Hiro's first ornament, and it took him a while to paint on the two circles and the line. The line was crooked and the circles were shaky, but remembering how proud the seven year old had been put a smile on Tadashi's face.

"Let's put this right here…" Tadashi murmured as he placed it in the middle of the tree. Where it could be seen by anyone that walked into the living room.

"Oh, then there's this one!" Hiro said excitedly. "You are a horrible painter," the teen snickered as he looked at the ornament.

"Hey, that was almost 5 years ago!" Tadashi looked at the ornament and laughed. 9-year-old Hiro had asked Tadashi to paint a rabbit on a red ornament. However, despite the 19-year-old's efforts, the "rabbit" ended up looking more like a lopsided, deformed dog with extremely long ears that stuck up at a weird angle.

"What about your quote in quote 'snowflake'," Tadashi snickered, pulling another ornament out of the box.

Hiro's face turned red. "Hey, _I_ didn't know how to draw one…" Hiro was 10 and tried to make a snowflake on a blue ornament. However, no matter how he painted it, it looked more like a spider web than anything. Tadashi had laughed and told his embarrassed brother that Halloween was two months ago.

An hour later, the tree was decorated and lit up. Tadashi even lifted Hiro onto his shoulders to let the young teen place the star at the top of the tree. As a joke, the brothers wrapped Christmas lights around Baymax and placed a star on the top of his head too.

"Oh, that's right!" Remembering his new laptop, Tadashi pulled out his own gift he had ready for Hiro.

It wasn't wrapped, like Hiro's was, but instead was in a big gift bag. Red tissue paper covered whatever was in the bag.

"You're gonna love it as much as I loved mine," Tadashi promised.

Curious, Hiro ripped the tissue paper out of the bag. His jaw dropped when he saw what was inside.

"Oh my- but you said-…and I-"

"Merry Christmas, little brother!" Tadashi laughed, pushing a finger against Hiro's dropped chin to push his jaw back up and close his mouth.

"This is great!" Hiro squeaked, pulling out his new hoverboard. "You said I couldn't have one last time! 'Too dangerous' and whatnot…"

"Yeah, well, Gogo convinced me otherwise," Tadashi shrugged. "She said that if you were mature enough to get into college at 14, then you should be responsible enough to use one of these."

Hiro couldn't believe what he was hearing, or holding. Hoverboards were the newest things on the market. While their exterior design looked like that of a bulky skateboard, when the rider steps on a certain button, the wheels would retract to the sides and plates at the bottom would levitate the board. It could be used for both skateboarding and flying, could float up to 100 meters, and had three special buttons placed close to where the feet were to be. One button would activate the hover mechanics, another would thrust the rider forward, and the last would activate a force field, in case anything went wrong in the air. It was the newest craze in the San Fransokyo teenage population, and almost every teenage boy had one. Hiro had begged Tadashi for one when it first came out, but the older Hamada had straightly refused.

_Leave it to Gogo to get Tadashi to cave to something speed related… _Hiro thought. As long as it had wheels, the speedy Korean woman would do anything for it. _Thanks Gogo…_

"I better see you wear a helmet when you get on this thing," Tadashi fretted. "And kneepads and elbow pads. And make sure not to hover too high. And watch for cars! And-" He was cut off by a tackling hug from the happy teen.

"I love it," Hiro murmured into Tadashi's shirt. "Thanks, _nii-chan_."

Tadashi smiled. "Just promise me to be safe, okay bonehead?" he whispered, planting a small kiss in the teen's hair. "No more bot fighting."

"Promise," Hiro said, not complaining or fussing over being kissed. "And sorry about what I said before… You're the best dad and brother a kid could ask for."

"Thanks, kiddo," Tadashi said, tears filling in his eyes.

The Hamada brothers stayed in an embrace for what felt like the first time in a long time.

"Now, when you say 'no more', you mean 'less', right?"

"No more as in no more, Hiro."

"No more… this year?"

"Nice try. No more as in if I catch you going again I'm taking away the hoverboard."

"…Damn…"

* * *

><p>They finally fell asleep on the couch around 3 am. Baymax brought over blankets and covered their sleeping forms to make sure they didn't catch a cold.<p>

A few hours later, Tadashi rushed Hiro onto his moped and took him to the hospital. After a quick examination, the doctor prescribed Hiro painkillers and told Tadashi the right procedures to keep him out of pain.

"Good job treating the wounds," the doctor had congratulated Tadashi. "You did all the proper steps last night to keep them from inflaming. Just give Hiro one of these pills every time they start hurting, and ice it if it swells. We'll give him a crutch to help walk with his ankle, but it should be fine after a few weeks. His arm can be taken out of the sling, but make sure to do the exercises I told you about to make sure it was set correctly."

Tadashi nodded, listening intently and taking mental notes. Bowing gratefully, Tadashi said goodbye and steered Hiro out the door.

"Time to make desserts, bonehead," Tadashi said as he helped Hiro onto the back of the moped. Hiro was going to hold the crutch by his side to avoid hitting anyone on the ride back.

Hiro crinkled his nose. "Bro, we're _roboticists_. Not _bakers_."

"How hard can it be?" Tadashi laughed, starting the moped. "What can possibly go wrong?..."

* * *

><p>Tadashi jinxed it.<p>

After several minutes of digging around, they finally found the old recipe book Aunt Cass had left behind. Flipping through the desserts, the brothers finally decided on making sugar cookies and an apple pie.

It should've been easy. A piece of cake (pun intended). Get the ingredients, mix them together, put it in the oven, wait, and take it out. Simple as that.

Wrong.

First, ingredients.

Reading the list, Tadashi made a list of ingredients they had to buy. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, butter, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk and sprinkled for the cookies. Sugar, brown sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, apples, lemon juice, pie crust, butter and egg white for the pie. A trip to the grocery store would get them all that.

As soon as they got to the store, they were lost. Walking up and down the aisles, the brothers balked at all the options before them.

"Which flour do we get… all-purpose, wheat, unbleached…"

"Umm…" Tadashi looked at his list and cursed. He didn't write it down. Pulling out his phone, he looked up "_what type of flour do you use to bake desserts?_"

Growling, Tadashi scrolled through the many websites, confused when only seeing more different types of flour. Finally, giving up, he called Wasabi for help. It was no secret that the big African American male baked in his free time.

"Hey, Wasabi."

"Tadashi! How's Hiro?" Tadashi had sent out a group message explaining what happened to his younger brother shortly after treating the injuries the night before, while Hiro was dozing off.

"He's fine… took him to the doctor's just in case."

"Glad to hear it," Wasabi laughed. "So what's up? I'm making the entrée for tonight…"

"Actually, I need your help."

"Yeah?"

"...What kind of flour do you use for desserts?"

Silence. Then roaring laughter. Tadashi bristled. "I'm sorry I've never baked before!"

"I thought your aunt was a baker!"

"Well, turns out baking isn't passed down genetically," Tadashi growled sarcastically into the phone. "So which one is it?"

"All-purpose," Wasabi snickered, still laughing at the fact that the head of SFIT couldn't bake. "At the market now?"

"Yup."

"Alright, man. Just text me if you have any more problems," Wasabi laughed.

Muttering his thanks, Tadashi hung up and threw a bag of all-purpose flour into the shopping cart. Continuing down the aisle, he stopped by Hiro, who was looking at the sugar. "What's next?" Tadashi sighed.

Hiro had two different packages in his hand, frustration and annoyance boiling like a storm around him. "Which sugar?"

"Ugh, we're gonna be here _forever_," Tadashi groaned, slapping a hand to his face.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, the Hamada brothers burst through the front door, grocery bags in both of their hands. As soon as he dropped the bags off on the kitchen counter, Hiro immediately sank down in a chair, rubbing his sore ankle.<p>

"Okay…" Tadashi puffed, carefully placing his load on the counter. "Mixing time…"

Pulling out a mixing bowl and some measuring cups, Tadashi began carefully placing in the ingredients for the cookies.

Then the first mistake happened.

As Tadashi poured the flour into the measuring cup, Hiro put his face low to look at the amount in the cup. Then Tadashi's hand slipped.

"Hey!" Flour flew everywhere, floating around in the air. The fine powder settled on Tadashi's clothes and counter. However, a pile of flour was resting on Hiro's head, turning the raven colored hair into an ashen gray and parts pure white. Hiro shook his head and coughed as the powder floated down.

Tadashi burst out laughing, seeing his little brother's confused and shocked face as flour drifted down and covered his face.

Hiro glared at his brother, then grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at Tadashi.

"Whoa!" A white blotch appeared on the front of Tadashi's shirt. Now it was Hiro's turn to laugh. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that, Hiro!"

Tadashi grabbed a handful of sugar, then Hiro grabbed a handful of baking soda. The powders flew across the kitchen, filling the air and creating a big mess.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Tadashi laughed as sugar landed on his head. Still laughing, he measured out the rest of the ingredients.

Then, the second problem occurred.

"Dashi, how are we gonna mix this?"

The brothers gaped at the bowl of unmixed ingredients. They didn't have an electric whisk, and neither wanted to hand whisk it.

Hiro stared at the bowl, mind racing. "Maybe I could _make_ one…" he muttered, designs and plans forming in his head.

"It'll take too long," Tadashi argued, grabbing the whisk. "I'll do it… it'll be faster than waiting for you to make one."

"I can do it," Hiro said indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Right," his brother snickered, poking at the teen's stick thin arms. "You've got no meat on you, little brother. You'll probably break your arm trying to mix this."

Grumbling, Hiro leaned on the counter huffily, staring as his older brother mixed the ingredients.

The kitchen was quiet for 10 minutes. Then Tadashi stopped mixing. His arm was sore. Rubbing his shoulder, Hiro offered to mix again. And again, Tadashi refused. Another 5 minutes.

Finally, Tadashi handed the bowl to Hiro, his arm going numb. _It should be mixed enough that Hiro can move it with his weak muscles…_

Hiro grabbed the bowl excitedly, ready to start mixing, and yanked the whisk around the bowl. He got through about 5 spins before he set the bowl down, exhausted.

Tadashi snickered. "Thought you said you got it?"

"It's more tiring than I thought," Hiro panted, arm shaking as he tried for a 6th spin.

"Right," Tadashi ruffled his brother's hair and sending down another spray of flour from the boy's still flour covered hair. "Why don't you let me finish mixing, then you can be in charge of designing."

* * *

><p>Mix step, pouring.<p>

Easy enough, right?

Wrong.

Tadashi placed baking paper onto the tray, ready to put the cookie mix on. Hiro had the bowl balanced precariously in his hands, arms trembling as the bowl threatened to drop.

"Ready, bud?"

"Let's get this over with," Hiro grunted, shakily lifting the big bowl.

Tadashi tipped the bowl slowly onto the tray, then immediately tipped it back up. Oh no…

The mix spread, slowly growing wider on the tray. Rushing, Tadashi grabbed a wooden spoon and tried to contain it in a small circle. As soon as he let go of the bowl, Hiro was taken by surprise as the heavy bowl sank, spilling a little mix on Tadashi's hand.

"Hey!" Tadashi protested, quickly steadying the bowl with his clean hand.

"It's so heavy!" Hiro complained, gritting his teeth as he tiredly lifted the bowl a little more.

"Well, we _are_ making cookies for six people," the latter sighed, licking off the sweet mix from his hand.

The brothers looked at the tray. Mix had spilled over their first cookie, splattering it to look like a misshaped blob. As they struggled, their cookies looked more like wobbly messes than cookies. Mix trailed off from some of them, connecting one cookie to another.

"Best we can do," Tadashi sighed. "Let's get this in the ove-"

Oh shoot. They forgot to preheat the oven.

Hurriedly, Tadashi and Hiro scrambled over to the oven, trying to figure out how the mechanism worked.

"Unbelievable," Hiro muttered angrily. "Lived here 7 years, we're both in San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, child _genius_ here, but we can't figure out how to use an _oven_."

By the time they set it to preheat, the cookie mix on the tray had spread into bigger blobs. Afraid the spoon would ruin it even more, the brothers used their fingers and messily moved them back into their original shapes. They managed to push them back, but left a sticky mess on their hands.

"Ugh, our hands are a mess," Hiro groaned, licking one finger clean.

"Don't lick it, wash it off," Tadashi said, using his wrist to turn on the faucet. Scrubbing their hands clean, Tadashi lifted the rest of the bowl. "Still have more cookies to make…"

* * *

><p>15 minutes later, the oven rang, signaling the completion of the preheating. Together, Tadashi and Hiro placed four trays of 4 by 3 blobby cookies onto the racks in the oven, then closed the door, waiting for the 8 minutes to pass. To kill time, they started cutting apples in preparation of the apple pie.<p>

"Ow!" Hiro stuck his left index finger into his mouth. A few drops of blood splattered onto the cutting board.

"Lemme see…" Tadashi murmured when they heard squeaking footsteps come towards the kitchen.

Baymax stood at the doorway, blinking at the brothers. He waved, then said. "Hello. I was alerted when I heard you say: ow. On a scale of one to ten, what would you rate your pain?"

"Umm…" Hiro mumbled, finger still in his mouth. "A zero?"

"It's okay, Baymax," Tadashi waved his hand at the robot. "I can handle this."

"Very well. I will leave now." Baymax blinked, then squeaked away.

"Okay, bonehead… Let's see it." Tadashi washed his hands then went to a drawer to grab an antiseptic towelette and a Band-Aid.

Carefully, Hiro took his finger out of his mouth, cupping his other hand under it to catch any possible drops of blood.

Tadashi gingerly held Hiro's hand and examined the wound. A slash ran slanted on the back of his finger, blood welling and threatening to spill over. "Bite down," Tadashi warned as he ripped open the towelette. Carefully wiping the cut, Hiro bit his lip as the antiseptics stung his injury. "Done," Tadashi said as he wrapped the Band-Aid around Hiro's finger. "No more cutting fruits for you."

"Got it," Hiro muttered, gently rubbing his new injury.

* * *

><p>The oven rang again, marking the completion of the cookies. Tadashi pulled open the oven and looked at the cookies.<p>

…Well, sure they didn't _look_ good, but they would taste great. Carefully pulling the trays out to cool, he stared at their creation. The ugly blobs had risen up, looking even more deformed than they had originated. Some pieces that were too thin were even burnt, or looked crispier than they should be.

"Well, won't know till we try it," Hiro sighed as he grabbed a cookie and took a bite before Tadashi could react. Chewing, his face scrunched up thoughtfully, trying to judge their creation.

"So what's the verdict?" Tadashi asked teasingly.

Hiro swallowed, then said in his most official voice, "I give it a 9.7 out of 10." He grinned and gulped down the rest of the cookie. "They look terrible, but they taste amazing."

* * *

><p>Tadashi cut up the rest of the apples as Hiro decorated the cookies. Looking at the time, the brother's realized they had less than two hour to get to Fred's house for dinner. And they still had to clean up the giant mess they had made during their brief ingredients war.<p>

Swiftly, Tadashi threw the ingredients into another bowl and furiously mixed them all together while Hiro tossed sprinkles and frosting onto the cookies. Seeing the apples nice and caramel in color, Tadashi poured them into the piecrust and threw it into the oven to be baked for half an hour. Checking on Hiro's progress, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

It was obvious that the teen had tried to make the cookies look good in the beginning. However, after seeing his time constraint, he sloppily topped each cookie with frosting and threw handfuls of sprinkles on them. Somehow, he had managed to get frosting on his cheek.

"Go take a shower, bonehead," Tadashi laughed as he used a finger to wipe off the frosting on his little brother's cheek. "You're a mess!" Which was true. He still had flour and powders all over him from their brief battle.

"But what about _this_ mess?" The kitchen had flour, sugar and eggs strewn all across the floors. A fine layer of flour was also covering the counter top.

"Don't worry, I'll clean this up," Tadashi reassured him. "Besides, you're a bigger mess than I am. I just need to take a quick wash and change. _You_, on the other hand," Tadashi ruffled Hiro's flour covered hair, sending yet another little storm to fall over the teen, "are gonna take a while to get clean."

Hiro frowned. "But-"

"Don't make me carry you up the stairs," Tadashi threatened.

"Fine, fine!" Hiro threw his hands up as he made his way up the stairs.

"Don't forget to dress comfortably! We're going to Fred's place!"

"Got it!"

Tadashi sighed as he looked at the chaos set before him. _Why couldn't I program Baymax to clean _and_ heal…_

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, the pie was ready, the kitchen was clean, and Tadashi was exhausted. He had scrubbed the floor and counters clean of ingredients. They were practically sparkling.<p>

Hiro walked in with a towel draped over his head. He wore a red shirt and had his signature navy blue hoodie over it. Light brown khakis hung on his slim waist. One hand was rubbing his hair dry while the other held onto his rib.

Seeing Hiro hold his injury, Tadashi forgot his exhaustion and quickly jumped up. "What's the matter? Does anything hurt? Anything sore?"

"_Fine_, Tadashi," Hiro rolled his eyes. "Just stinging a little, nothing big."

Tadashi looked unconvinced, but he grabbed the towel and gently rubbed Hiro's messy hair. "Take a painkiller just in case?"

"I'll take one later…" Hiro murmured as he carefully peeled off his Band-Aid and dug around for another one. He didn't object to Tadashi drying his hair for him; he had gotten used to it from the past. "You should go shower," Hiro said as he wrapped another Band-Aid on his newly opened cut. "I'll put the desserts into containers so we can leave when you're done."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Tadashi walked down the stairs, presents for his friends in hand and fresh clothes worn over his body. A beige cardigan covered his simple white shirt. His green blazer was draped over his arm. He wore brown pants with the legs slightly rolled up past his ankles. Hiro had his present for their friends ready as well, waiting on the couch with Mochi wrapped around in his lap. The pie and cookies were on the floor by the presents, and Baymax was deflated and snuggly fitted into his pod.<p>

"Ready to go, little bro?" Tadashi asked, affectionately pulling Hiro's hood over his head.

"Ready!" Hiro bounced up and reached for his crutch, startling the fat cat that was resting in his lap.

Because of the amount of things they had to carry (presents, desserts, Baymax, Mochi…) they decided to go by good old-fashioned San Fransokyo public transportation.

Piling onto the trolley, Tadashi and Hiro sat and waited patiently for the conductor to take them to their stop.

"…Hey, Tadashi…"

"Yeah?"

"…Why did you come look for me?"

Tadashi looked at Hiro in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Hiro bit his lip as he stroked Mochi behind the ear. "…Why did you try to find me? After I said all those mean things…"

"Why wouldn't I?" Tadashi asked, confused. "You're my little brother!"

"But… I said so many horrible things! Didn't you hate me?" Hiro looked as confused as Tadashi did, sadness deep in his brown eyes.

"Hiro," Tadashi sighed as he draped an arm over his little brother's shoulder. "I would _never_ hate you. You're my dearest little brother. My _only_ little brother. My most important family member. My best friend. And I'll always look for you, even if I have to go to the end of the Earth."

A smile slid across Hiro's face and tears filled his eyes. "Thanks, Dashi."

"No problem," Tadashi chuckled, ruffling Hiro's hair.

"Hey! No touchie the hair!"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Tadashi and Hiro stumbled out of the trolley with their hands full. Mochi was perched on Hiro's head, content with his new resting spot despite the teenager's dislike. They walked towards Fred's huge door, marveling at the size (seven years later and they were still shocked that Fred was rich). Just as they were about to knock, the door swung open. Fred was standing at the threshold, a smile splattered on his face.<p>

"Tadashi! Hiro! You guys are _finally_ here!" He stepped aside and let the brothers enter. "That leg looks serious, little man," Fred tsked as he looked at Hiro's crutch.

"I'm not 'little'," Hiro replied indignantly, "and it's just a small sprain, no biggie."

"Whatever you say," Fred chuckled as he steered them to the dining table. "You guys _seriously_ need to see what Wasabi made. It's all _green_!"

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the evening eating and laughing. Wasabi had made a bunch of vegan meals, right down to salads and tofu burgers. Thankfully, Gogo, who was also in charge of entrée, brought a wide variety of foods. She brought pizza, sushi, bulgogi, burgers, steak, and anything else she could get from her runs as a bike messenger. Sure, they weren't home made, but they still tasted great. Honey was in charge of drinks, and brought specially blended juice and cans of soda. She had also brought a bottle of <em>sake<em> for the adults.

Tadashi and Hiro revealed their poorly made desserts, much to the amusement of their friends. For some reason, they found it funny that the two geniuses couldn't operate the simple task of baking.

Heathcliff had also baked some desserts, just slightly better looking (actually, a lot better looking…). He made beautifully designed three tiered cakes, magnificently created crème brulee, and bought cartons of first class ice cream. For the 14-year-old, he had purchased a jar full of gummy bears.

Everyone pigged out. They ate even when they couldn't eat anymore. While they ate, they talked, laughing at every story that was passed. Baymax sat close by with Mochi in his arms.

When it was finally dessert time, their friends were slightly unsure about the Hamada brothers' cookies. However, after finally taking a first bite, they immediately adored them, practically shoving them down their already full stomachs. Hiro was cramming handfuls of gummy bears down his throat, and it wasn't until Tadashi reminded Hiro of the last time he ate too many gummy bears did he stop.

After dessert, everyone lounged around with full stomachs. Then it was present time.

Tadashi and Hiro had already exchanged gifts, but they were happy to hand out the gifts they had prepared.

For Fred, Hiro had created a suit that enhanced his jumping abilities, as well as fire breathing abilities. He loved it, not only because it gave him "super powers", but also because it was designed to look like his favorite monster. Hiro created a small purse for Honey Lemon with small buttons along the side, each button a different chemical. The chemicals would all gather together into small balls that shot out the opposite end. She adored it, crushing Hiro into a tight hug. Tadashi had to tell Honey to let go when his little brother started gasping in pain as his rib throbbed. He created Wasabi a pair of gloves that had retractable lasers in them. He had gotten the idea from the present Wasabi had given him seven years ago. Wasabi ruffled the youth's hair and laughed, joking that he was stealing his ideas. Gogo's gift was tough, but Hiro finally decided to borrow her old project designs. He created a pair of boots that had electro-magnetic suspension discs attached to the sides, easily allowing the speed crazy Korean woman to control how fast she travelled. Gogo smiled and gave Hiro a gentle hug, saying that she couldn't think of any better gift.

Tadashi smiled. This was the first year that Hiro had created his presents for their friends. He was happy to see his little brother had put so much effort into his presents this year.

As for Tadashi, he got Fred a special, one of a kind Megazon action figure that was close to _impossible_ to get. Tadashi had cleared out a _whole day_ just to camp out in front of the comic book store and fought off waves of nerds to get it. Luckily, Fred didn't have this figurine yet, and he had been dying to get his hands on it. Tadashi got Honey a box of extra chemicals, either to refill the purse Hiro had made her or just for everyday use. Honey Lemon giggled and said they were spoiling her while hugging the older Hamada. He got Wasabi a miniature tool set with magnetic tools that would perfectly align and satisfy his OCD tendencies. Wasabi had murmured, "finally…" and he patted Tadashi on the back happily. Gogo received a wristband that also had an electro-magnetic suspension disk on it, perfect to use as a shield or boomerang. Their friends all laughed and asked if the brothers had planned these present out together, but the brothers replied no.

The brothers loved their presents as well. Fred got Hiro the original 10 issues of his Big Hero 6 comics (the teen had instantly fell in love with the superheroes when Fred released them worldwide). He got Tadashi a watch, jokingly saying it was to help him keep track of time (Tadashi had balked at the watch, it was a solid gold Rolex with diamond encrusted sides). Honey Lemon got Hiro another chemistry set, this time with more beakers and more chemicals (she joked that it was a reminder of seven years ago and to remind him not to forget about the joys of chemistry). She created a mug for Tadashi that would change color depending on the type of drink poured into it (_for fun_, she giggled). It even came with a list (brown for coffee, clear for water, blue for milk, and the list continues…). Wasabi got Hiro a piece of moon rock, freshly picked from the actual moon (NASA had just reached their laser to the moon and collected samples, allowing their scientists to keep some extra rocks). Tadashi got an electronic mixer, along with a Baking 101 book (laughs echoed around as Tadashi rolled his eyes). Gogo got Hiro a hoverboard set that matched the gift Tadashi had given him (red and purple helmet, kneepads, wrist guards, the works). And of course, best gift for last. The gang had gotten together and bought Tadashi a new motorcycle (under Gogo's suggestion). Honey Lemon and Hiro had a field day with pictures at Tadashi's face when Heathcliff wheeled the shiny new vehicle into the room.

"Ohh, photo! Photo!" Honey squealed when everyone got their presents. Pulling everyone together, she reached out her long arm and said, "1+1 equals-"

"_Niiii~*_" Everyone, except Gogo, smiled widely.

"Alright, now that we got presents over with…" Fred grinned and popped the corkscrew off of a bottle of champagne. "Party time!"

* * *

><p>"Seriously, <em>who<em> thought this would be a good idea?!"

Tadashi had a knocked out Hiro draped over his back. The teenager's face was red and he was laughing stupidly, hiccupping every few minutes.

"Guilty," Fred giggled, equally as red. He had an arm slung over Heathcliff's shoulders, taking huge swigs out of a beer bottle.

"Dddaassshhhiiii, it's hot," Hiro whined on Tadashi's back. "Can I take off my jacket, pllleeeeaaaasssseee?"

"No," Tadashi replied for the fifth time. While the adults had agreed to drink one glass of champagne, Hiro was allowed to only drink soda or the juice Honey Lemon had made. Fred had always been weak to alcohol, but he loved to drink it. Everyone else could easily handle one or two glasses, but Fred was totally drunk after half of his first glass. Apparently, he had spiked the juice with the bottle of _sake_ Honey had brought, and by the time they realized what Fred had done, Hiro had already finished half the carton and was knocked over wasted, face bright red and a wide smile on his face.

"Hehehe… your face is so shinnnyyyy…" Hiro giggled, poking at Tadashi's cheeks.

"Hiro, I am concerned at how high your alcohol blood concentration is," Baymax said, Mochi in his arms. As far as the cat was concerned, he didn't need to deal with another drunk.

"Hey, Baymax… Bah-a-la-la-la!" He wiggled his fingers as no one in particular, still giggling like mad.

"I'm gonna take him home," Tadashi sighed, pushing Hiro a little further up his back when he felt his brother slipping.

"Hehe… HOOMMMMEEE…" Hiro lifted an arm weakly, then dropped it across Tadashi's shoulder.

"Yeah, you should," Honey Lemon agreed. "We'll stay here tonight. Make sure Freddie doesn't do anything else stupid…"

"We'll bring your presents and food over tomorrow," Gogo offered. "You look like you have your hands full."

"Thanks," Tadashi said gratefully. "Goodnight, guys. Merry Christmas!"

"Nightie night!" Hiro sang from Tadashi's back.

Waving goodbye, the older Hamada walked down the street with Hiro on his back and his robotics project by his side.

The streets were empty. Tadashi enjoyed the silence and the peacefulness, unlike taking a bouncing trolley. Fred's mansion was close to their home, only a few minutes walk. On the way there, they only took the trolley to carry all the presents.

A few minutes into the walk, Hiro murmured, "Hey Dashi…" then giggled.

"Yeah, bonehead?"

"The sky is crying…" he giggled. "It's crying cotton candy!"

Tadashi looked up in surprise. Soft snow started falling from the cloudy skies of San Fransokyo. "Huh," Tadashi murmured. "I guess it's a Christmas miracle, buddy."

"Crying, crying, cotton candy…" Hiro sang, face as red as a fire truck.

Baymax turned on his heating unit, warming the brothers as they trudged home.

* * *

><p>"Bed time little bro," Tadashi said as he dumped his cargo onto the bed. Hiro didn't complain, only giggled and rolled over.<p>

"Cotton candy!" he sang hazily, grabbing his robot plushy and burying his face into the old fabric.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tadashi muttered, carefully removing his little brother's hoodie. "Remind me to never give you alcohol until you're twenty one."

"Yup, yup," Hiro replied happily, humming a tune Tadashi had never heard of (he was pretty sure Hiro made it up on the spot).

"Right," Tadashi sighed. "Well, I'll leave you to sleep then."

"Wait!" Hiro bolted up and latched onto Tadashi's waist, almost knocking his brother down.

"Whoa! What is it, Hiro?" Tadashi asked, steadying himself.

Hiro looked up and smiled innocently. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Wow, you are _seriously_ out of it if you're asking to sleep with me," Tadashi laughed. When Hiro was younger, they would often sleep together, but as his baby brother turned into a teen, he shied away from it.

"It's Christmas," Hiro chirped, then looked up and pushed his lower lip out strategically. Tadashi groaned. _Not the puppy dog look…_

"Fine!" Tadashi slid the paper screen over, revealing his side of the room. Hiro giggled maniacally, then excitedly bound over to Tadashi's bed. Jumping onto the bed, he snuggled himself deeply into the blankets, enthusiastically hitting the side next to him for Tadashi to hurry up.

Chuckling, Tadashi turned off the lights and crawled into the bed. Hiro snuggled himself closer to his brother's chest, clinging on to his shirt like how he did so many years ago…

"You reek of alcohol, _otouto_…" Tadashi snickered.

"Smells good," Hiro murmured sleepily, burrowing deeper into the blankets.

"You'll be feeling it tomorrow, little bro." Tadashi patted Hiro on the head lightly. "Ever heard of a hangover?"

"Hey, Dashi _nii-chan_…" Hiro muttered, ignoring what Tadashi just said.

"Yeah?"

"This was the best Christmas ever. I love you"

* * *

><p><strong>*So the Japanese number system is <em>ichi, ni, san<em> for one, two, three, and the joke is 1+1 is two, which is ni and when you say it you smile (kinda like cheese...)**

**Should I extend from this storyline after I finish the original hehe... tell me what you think :)**

**Now you guys know why I didn't update for a while, this Special took way too much time to do, and Christmas gift shopping was horrible... (what I get for waiting the last three days... but still)**

**Anyways, have a great Christmas! Happy holidays! Hope you guys get lots of great gifts. Consider this special my gift to you~**

**Happy belated birthday woofwolf, aren't you proud of this story? (she's the one that told me to start it in the first place~)**

**Comments, suggestions, questions, anything leave in the review, you guys know the drill haha**

**Next update will be chapter 17, this is just a special~ :3**

**Merry Christmas!~**


	18. Chapter 17: Agreed

**Hi all! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been working on a little something hehe...**

**Hope you all had a great New Years celebration! I went to Disney~**

**Thanks again for all the great reviews! :)**

**Enjoy this long awaited comeback haha xD**

* * *

><p>Chapter 17: Agreed<p>

"So when are you gonna tell me what 'Project New Life' is about?" Tadashi asked curiously.

He didn't have school today, so he decided to relax at home with Hiro, who was fully enjoying the freedom granted from his sling removal, flipping through pages and excitedly looking at the equations.

Hiro shook his head, his messy hair flopping around. "I'm not really sure… I tried finding a project summary or something, but there were too many files. From the equations I solved, I know it had something to do with brain control."

"Brain _control_? Is that even possible?" Tadashi always thought brain control was something out of a science fiction novel. Was there an actual possibility that it could exist?

Hiro shrugged. "Not sure. That's just what the equations say… but that creepy woman at Aunt Cass's funeral… do you think she has something to do with it?" Aunt Cass's funeral was a week ago, and Hiro still couldn't shake off that woman's disturbing smile…

"Don't know buddy," Tadashi mused. "You copied down all the equations and graphs right? Hiro nodded without looking up, waving his journal in the air. "Then I'll take the flash drive and try to find more information… Maybe one of the files can tell us what's up."

"Alright…" Hiro murmured, stretching his arms above his head. "I'm gonna take a nap, Dashi…"

"Go for it," Tadashi chuckled, grabbing the flash drive and ruffling Hiro's hair. The child had already fallen asleep, not bothering to complain of his already messy hair being messier.

* * *

><p>"Well, what is it?" Tomoe asked impatiently, carefully fanning herself with her little fan. "Why is Project New Life suddenly back on?"<p>

"My doll," the voice crooned, pacing slightly in front of the woman. "Do you remember the specific details of this Project?"

The woman shrugged. "All I know that it was going to make me queen."

"That's right," the voice chuckled. "Specifically, Project New Life is a mind control chip that is meant to be implanted into a human. This chip should unlock all the hidden talents in a person, be it supernatural powers or enhanced physical abilities. Project New Life is meant to recreate the person, allowing them to start a new life…"

"But…" Tomoe purred.

"But," the voice said, a smile evident in his tone, "those with these chips implanted into them are _slaves_ to the one wearing the control band. The crown."

"That is meant for _me_," Tomoe drawled, turning a cold gaze to the figure. "Right… _anata*_?"

* * *

><p>"Dinner time, bud!" Tadashi yelled up the stairs. Carefully setting out two bowls, Tadashi pouring spaghetti and meatballs into them. Grabbing two forks, he walked back to the stairs to call his brother again.<p>

"Coming!" Hiro scrambled down the stairs, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"Alright then… let's eat!" The brothers slurped up the pasta noisily, but otherwise sat in silence.

"Hey, Tadashi…"

"What's up, little bro?"

Hiro poked at a meatball, biting his lips. "I wanna talk to that Sayaki lady…"

"No," Tadashi replied immediately. That woman made him feel uneasy, and he didn't want Hiro anywhere near her.

"Come on, Tadashi!" Hiro begged. "The only way I can learn about Project New Life is through that woman, I know it!"

"It's too dangerous!" Tadashi argued. "You don't even know if her offer is legit. I mean, what if she tries to hurt you? And even if she knows what it is, what if it's something bad?"

"We won't know if we don't ask her…" Hiro whispered. He pulled something out of pocket. It was the crumbled up business card Tomoe had handed him at the funeral.

"But…" Tadashi looked at Hiro, unsure. He wanted to know what Project New Life was as much as Hiro did, but looking through the many files in the flash drive was taking too long. Hiro was right. _Of course_ he was right. The chances of a strange woman approaching them right after Aunt Cass died for the "Project New Life" was way too big to be a coincidence. Tadashi knew that the woman would know the answers he sought, but he didn't want to go near her.

"We can find out the truth even faster," Hiro whimpered, fear of meeting the strange woman settling in. But determination made him stubborn. "Please, Tadashi. I'll go to her myself if you don't let me," the child threatened.

"Okay, fine," Tadashi groaned. "But on one condition. _I_ have to be with you at _all_ times, okay?"

"Agreed," Hiro said, relief flooding his voice. The thought of having to see that woman alone scared him…

* * *

><p>"Umm… hello?" Hiro fingered the telephone cord nervously as the opposite line clicked. Tadashi hovered nearby, ready to pull the phone away at any moment.<p>

"Hello, you've reached the desk of Tomoe Sayaki. Who is this?" Hiro recognized the female voice as the same voice from the funeral. She sounding bored at the call she was receiving, uninterested, as though it was a huge waste of her time.

"This is Hiro Hamada…" the child replied nervously, voice lowering slightly. "Sayaki-san, you told me you wanted to speak to me?"

Silence. A rustle of papers and a thump of something heavy falling to the floor. "H-Hamada? B-but I thought..." the female voice cut off suddenly, then turned sickeningly sweet. "Ohh… I see… and what can I do for you, _sweetie_?"

Hiro shuddered. Even through the phone, this women's voice sent chills down his spine. Tadashi glanced at him nervously, reaching out for the phone. Determined to fight his own battle, the younger Hamada shook his head. Hiding the small tremble in his voice, Hiro said, "I just wanted to inform you that I've considered your proposition, and I'm interested in learning more."

"Hmm… is your _guard dog_ alright with that?"

Hiro swallowed nervously. "Yes. But he has to be with me when I meet you. Otherwise, no deal."

The voice on the other line cackled in delight. "Of course, _darling_. I look forward to seeing you soon. Be at my office tomorrow morning, 10 am sharp. Understood?"

"Yes." He had intended for his answer to sound strong and confident, but it sounded more like a squeak.

"Perfect," Tomoe purred. Compared to his timid squeak, she sounded like a cat ready to pounce. "Then I'll be seeing you soon, dear. Bye bye now!"

_Click_. The line disconnected.

Hiro breathed a shaky sigh of relief as he put the phone back down into the holder.

"What happened?" Tadashi asked worriedly. "What did she say?"

"Tomorrow at 10," Hiro sighed, heart pounding at the thought of having to meet that dreadful woman again.

"Let's not tell her about the Project yet… I don't trust her…"

Hiro nodded in agreement. "I wonder what she wants to talk about…"

* * *

><p>"You ready for this, buddy?"<p>

The child swallowed nervously, right hand tightly clenching Tadashi's left hand. They were standing in front of a large building with at least thirty floors. Both brothers looked up and stared in awe at each floor. Tinted windows hid the presence of life in the building. Nodding confidently, Hiro and Tadashi walked through the sliding doors together.

The lobby was huge, but completely empty. The shiny white marble floors reflected the single chair set in the corner of the room, right by a set of stairs. A receptionist sat calmly across from the entrance, glancing up slightly to see who had walked in. As Tadashi approached the counter, he noted how cleanly wiped down it was. It was shiny enough for him so see his own reflection.

"Can I help you sir?" the receptionist asked, boredom dripping in her voice.

Tadashi cleared his throat. "Uhh, yes. I'm here to see a Miss Tomoe Sayaki-san? She said to came here at 10 am with my little brother." Said little brother was struggling to lift his head above the counter. Unfortunately for him, it was a full head taller than him, and the lady had to stretch over to see him.

"Hmm… the Hamada's, I presume?" the lady drawled, lazily flipping through some papers. The brothers nodded in unison. "She's on the 31st floor." The receptionist pointed towards the elevator and returned to typing away at her computer.

Dipping his head in a quick bow, Tadashi hurried Hiro to the elevator. They entered and pressed the 31st floor's button (out of 35) and waited as the metal box zoomed up. Disgustingly happy music played from the speakers, and by the 20th floor, both brothers had their hands cupped over their ears.

* * *

><p>A cheerful <em>ding<em> announced their arrival on the 31st floor. Cautiously, the brothers exited and carefully analyzed their surroundings. This floor was significantly different from the lobby. The carpet was blood red, and a similarly polished receptionist desk sat across the elevator. At the desk stood a young man, no more than 30 years of age (probably mid-twenties). He stood rigidly, face stoic and straight. He wore a crisp suit with a nametag that read "Inoue" pinned on his chest. He barely reacted when the brothers approached him, staring at them blankly. Awkward silence filled the air, neither side wanting to start a conversation.

Finally, after a few minutes, Tadashi cleared his throat, flinching slightly when Inoue continued to stare at him. "We're here to see Sayaki-san… umm, the Hamadas?"

Inoue blinked, then pressed a button.

"Yes, yes, what is it!" a voice barked from behind the counter (Tadashi assumed it was from a phone).

"Hamada's are here," he replied simply, still staring at Tadashi. The older Hamada was beginning to feel creeped out.

"Ohh, are they now?" Tomoe purred from the other end. "Well, what are you waiting for? Send them in!"

Inoue gestured behind him, then looked back at Tadashi. Signal for him to go. Dipping his head again, Tadashi grabbed Hiro's hand and quickly walked to the place he had gestured at. As he crossed the table, Hiro glanced quickly at Inoue.

For the first time since they walked in, Inoue's eyes filled with emotion. Shock, then fear. His eyes were screaming warnings, telling them to go, and he extended a hand as though to pull them back.

Too late. The door flew open.

"Darlings!" Tomoe Sayaki gushed. Her lips curled up in a sly smile and she fanned herself with the same fan she had at the funeral. Her long hair hung loosely down her back, several strands draping across her shoulder. She wore a bright red dress that clung onto her skinny frame, cutting off across her thigh. A scandalous split travelled up her right thigh to her waist. Black thigh high socks covered her thin legs, and she had no shoes on. Clearly, she was enjoying life in that office.

Tadashi resisted every urge to cover his younger brother's eyes as the scantily dressed woman sauntered over to them.

"Come in, come in… Inoue!" she snapped. "Prepare some tea for our _guests_."

Inoue bowed deeply, then disappeared down the hall.

* * *

><p>"Sugar with your tea?"<p>

"Umm… no thanks." Tadashi and Hiro sat awkwardly on the plush couch in the middle of the woman's office. Well… it _should_ be called an office but it looked more like the grand room of a palace. An elegant rug covered the hard wood floor and a fireplace lit a cozy flame that warmed the room. A giant shelf towered over one side of the room, filled with books, trophies and other small things. The giant window overlooked the foggy city. A wooden desk sat in front of the window, with a giant chair placed in between. Over the fireplace hung a tall portrait. Tadashi could make out Tomoe, who was lounged across a chair in the painting, but the dim lighting made it hard for him to see the figure standing besides her. He could only see a broad set of shoulders and a thick, well-muscled neck.

"My husband," Tomoe explained, noticing the brothers staring at the picture.

Tadashi almost choked on his tea. _Husband_? The woman looked barely older than 25!

"Surprised?" Tomoe giggled, crossing her legs as she sat in a plush armchair across from the brothers. "Although I am only in my late twenties… I married early, you see. But for business purposes." Translation: Arranged marriage.

"How did you know Aunt Cass then, Sayaki-san?" Hiro asked. The math didn't seem right, seeing that she claimed to have known her before the boys were born.

"Let's just say that before you two were born, your aunt and parents had… _different_ interests. I was 8 when I met them for the first time. My father introduced me to them, but we didn't quite… click. But enough about me…" Tomoe leaned forward, a smoking pipe appearing in her hand. "_I_ want to tell _you_ about my business proposition."

"May we have more information of this 'proposition'?... Sayaki-san," Tadashi pressed, remembering last second to remain as polite as possible.

She waved her hand dismissively, blowing a puff of smoke at the older Hamada's face. "Yes, yes… details, details. I'll tell them to you, now calm down, puppy."

Before Tadashi could process what she said (puppy?), she grinned at Hiro. "So I'm assuming you know what 'Project New Life' is?"

Hiro glanced at Tadashi unsurely before nodding. "I know some of it… not all of it. Something to do with brain control?"

"Ohh, you _are_ a smart one!" Tomoe purred. "Specifically, this 'Project' is a chip. We inject it into the back of a person's neck, where the connection to the brain is the strongest. The chip will awaken many lost abilities that humans may have once had, and increase survival abilities. _My_ proposal is for you to help me complete this project. I'll pay you amounts beyond your wildest dreams! What do you say, deary?"

Hiro paused, then cautiously replied, "But some of the equations were off. They look dangerous. If something were to go wrong, it could cause brain damage, or dea-"

"Oh, pish posh! Small details!" the woman heartlessly waved her hand and laughed, as though death were not important. "If we perfect this project, and I know _you_ can do it, we could save millions! People would be _begging_ to join! We'd be at the top of the world!" She cackled, already seeing the rain of money. "What do you think? Sound interesting, darling?"

Hiro looked at Tadashi, panicking. The child knew that this Project was beyond dangerous. One wrong calculation could lead to a dangerously high spike in death rates. Tadashi shook his head slightly, then glanced at Tomoe. Hiro got the message. _Don't trust this woman, she's dangerous._

"I'm sorry, Sayaki-san," Hiro said politely. "I don't believe this project is what the world needs. I will not help you finish it."

The woman's expression changed drastically. Her originally calm and cheerful face fell and was replaced with an ugly scowl that marred her beautiful features. "That's a pity to hear, _darling_." Her tone was icy, and she hissed out the last word. "I was hoping you would be smarter than your parents, but evidently not."

"Wait, our parents?" Tadashi blurted. "What does this have to do with our parents?"

"Fools!" Tomoe hissed, a clawed hand gripping tightly to the armchair. Hiro shrank back at her cold voice, leaning into Tadashi as his arms formed a protective circle around his little brother. "Did you really think their deaths were a _coincidence_? And do you really believe a car could balance along an edge like that so _easily_?"

"How do you know about that?" Tadashi demanded, trying to keep his voice even. No one knew the details of the accident, not even Aunt Cass. Tadashi had been unsure about what had happened, and hadn't told a soul of the events that had happened that dreadful night.

Tomoe laughed humorlessly. "Your naivety is sweet. But ill advised! Dive any deeper and you and your brother will get hurt." She cackled maniacally, taking another deep breath from her smoking pipe. A smile curved on her lips as she slowly let out the smoke. "I can see from your faces that you're both dying to find out why they actually died."

Hesitantly, the brothers nodded. They had always believed it to be an accident, but this woman knew too much for it to be a coincidence. Her smile grew wider and more sinister. "Too bad!" she screeched loudly, throwing her head back as her laughter echoed through the large room. "Spend the rest of your miserable lives wondering!" Suddenly, as though a switch had been flipped, she straightened out her short skirt and took a deep breath. Smiling politely, she snapped her fingers. "I'm done with these two."

Two giant guards burst through the door, cracking their knuckles menacingly. Tadashi swallowed, then picked Hiro up and quickly walked out of the room. He refused to look back as the woman started cackling again. "Have a nice day, _darlings_!"

* * *

><p>"What was her issue?" Hiro muttered in the elevator.<p>

"Who knows," Tadashi shrugged, trying to shake off the discomfort the woman had left him. It scared him how she had switched personalities so fast. And how much she knew about their past. _Mom, dad… what did we get ourselves into?_

"Uhh, Dashi?"

"Yeah, _otouto_?"

"You can let go of me now…"

Tadashi blinked. He had forgotten he still had Hiro held tightly in his arms. Grinning sheepishly, he set his little brother down on the floor. "Sorry, little brother."

Hiro shrugged. "No problem, _nii-chan_." He made a face as he remembered their strange encounter with the woman. "That fox lady sure was weird though…"

"Fox lady?" Tadashi snickered at his little brother's choice of nickname.

"She looked like a fox, don't you think?" Hiro mused. "Like, her facial structure and personality. I swear I saw a tail behind her."

"You've been watching too much anime, little bro," Tadashi chuckled as he ruffled Hiro's hair. However, Tadashi had to admit. That woman _did_ remind him of a fox, sly and cunning. The brothers stuck with that nickname.

* * *

><p>"Oh, <em>anata<em>!" Tomoe gushed into the phone. She was sitting sideways in her plush armchair, feet kicking in the air. She pressed the phone against her ear with her shoulder, holding string between her fingers as she played cats cradle.

"Yes, sweetie? I thought I told you not to call in the middle of work!" A voice growled back, enduring patience thick in his voice.

"They know what Project New Life is," Tomoe responded simply, frowning slightly when the strings knotted up in the middle. As she worked the knot out, she continued explaining about her encounter with the brothers. "The fools rejected my offer. Pity, it would've been less painful had they just accepted it."

"At least their parents were smart enough to accept it," the voice rumbled. "Clearly, these two haven't been tormented enough."

"Are you going to send _him_?" Tomoe asked excitedly, strings pulled taunt as she worked out the string puzzle.

"Yes. One of our informants has received information of where they live. I'll send him over with a little… ahh… house-warming present."

"They'll be like two rabbit caught in a trap," the woman hissed in delight as her strings pulled into an intricate design. "Well, darling, it's time you went back to work! I love you! Work hard!"

"Thank you, my doll," the voice growled lovingly. "Don't worry. You'll be queen of the world soon!"

Sending a quick kiss into the speakers, Tomoe placed the phone back into the holder. Sighing contently, she smiled and stared at the fire.

Then she threw the phone across the room. Sparks flew as the device shattered as it made contact with the wall.

She panted in fury, on her feet and glaring at where the phone had hit. "That fool!" she hissed. He was just a pawn. It was already unfair that she had been forced into this stupid marriage when she was only 16, but it was downright disgusting when she found out her groom was almost three times her age. Angrily, she snapped her fingers. The giant guard from the funeral walked over to her. In his hands, he held a small birdcage. A brightly colored canary flew around, chirping happily.

Smiling slightly, Tomoe opened the cage and the bird hopped onto her dainty finger, still chirping away. "Mommy and daddy never listened to me… I was just a tool for business, yes I was, yes I was," she purred as she nuzzled the small creature carefully against her face. The bird tweeted happily.

"But they never understood," Tomoe sighed, stroking the bird softly on its small head. "I was meant to be queen! I was never supposed to be tied down by something as ridiculous as _marriage_!" Spitting the word "marriage" like it was poison in her mouth, she closed her fist around the small bird. Chirping in surprise, the bird struggled to escape her hand.

"I told them, so many times over!" She tightened her grip and brought the bird closer to her face. "But I got lucky… the _idiot_ they betrothed me to has the power to make my dreams come true," she cooed to the poor terrified creature. It relaxed slightly, taking her calm tone to heart.

Big mistake.

A dreadful _rip_ sounded across the large room. Blood splattered across the carpet and stained Tomoe's face, hands and clothes. Her guard flinched as a splatter landed on his shoe.

In one hand, Tomoe held the body of the small bird, and in the other she held its head. Viciously, she tore apart its small body, tearing off its wings and clawing open its body. Blood sprayed everywhere, streaks running across her face and covering her hands. Her face was livid as she dug into its corpse.

"After I'm done with that fool," she hissed as she worked, "I'll dispose of him. Just like mommy and daddy. Oh…" She hung out her hands in disgust. "My hands are dirty…" Snapping her bloody fingers, the guard quickly walked over and bowed deeply.

"Clean this up," the woman snapped, grabbing a towel and wiping her hands clean of blood. "This office better be spotless when I'm back."

After she left the room, the guard shuddered and started cleaning. What a truly terrifying woman he had been assigned to take care of…

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><p><strong>*<em>anata<em> is Japanese for "dear", kinda like an enduring thing to call your husband**

**Also, grand reveal! This is what I've been working on:**

**diskpopani-cray on tumblr, look up fanart ;)**

**Keep leaving suggestions and comments please! x3**


	19. Chapter 18: Lady

**Hey, hey! Back with another chapter! :)**

**Sorry for killing the little birdie... but now you get an idea of how scary the bad guys are O^O**

**Now here's the new chapter! Enjoy~**

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><p>Chapter 18: Lady<p>

"Shoot…" Tadashi murmured, frantically searching around his desk.

"What's the matter?" Hiro padded into Tadashi's side of the room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Looking at the clock, he yawned when he saw the time. 7:01 am. "_Nii-chan_, weekends are meant for sleeping in, you know."

"I know… but," Tadashi sighed and ran a hand quickly through his hair. "I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep and kinda wanted to look at that flash drive… but I think I left it back at the lab." It had been about a week since they visited Tomoe Sayaki and her overly grand office building. The woman still called every once in a while, trying to get them to reconsider, but all she got was either a straight up, but semi-polite no (when Hiro answered) or was hung up on immediately (when Tadashi answered). She resorted to leaving voice messages, but the brothers never bothered trying to listen to them. They were currently at 56 unheard messages from the strange fox lady.

"Go get it then," Hiro shrugged, clambering back under his blankets. "I'll just wait for you at home," he murmured, eyes closed and ready to go back to sleep.

"You sure?" Tadashi asked worriedly. This would be the first time he left Hiro home alone since the accident. Worry clouded over his head.

"The university is only a few minutes away…" Hiro muttered, yawning and turning over to face the other side, snuggling deeper into his blankets. "You'll be in, out and back in no time right?"

"True…" Still unsure, Tadashi glanced at the clock. He silently cursed himself for leaving Baymax to charge overnight in his office. "All right…" he sighed, noting to grab the flash drive and his robotics project. "Remember not to open the door for _anyone_, got it?"

"Mhmm…" Hiro mumbled, half asleep.

"I'll be back soon." Tadashi grabbed his cardigan and gently closed the door. Hiro had already fallen asleep.

Snatching the keys from the kitchen table, Tadashi quickly raced out of the house (making sure to relock the locks carefully) and started his moped. He zoomed down the early morning San Fransokyo streets, rushing to grab his things and hurry back home to his brother.

* * *

><p>Hiro was dreaming.<p>

He was sitting on a hill, with his parents and brother next to him. They were enjoying a small picnic, like they used to do whenever Hiruto and Atsuki were back home. His parents were laughing happily, wiping his face clear of crumbs and jelly that inevitably came with the sandwich he was eating. Tadashi was grinning, poking Hiro's arm playfully.

The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing and the wind was teasing his messy hair. Hiro laughed along with his family, enjoying their company.

"Hey, bonehead! Let's play hide and seek!" dream-Tadashi laughed. "I'll count!"

"Don't go out too far, Hiro!" dream-Atsuki chortled.

_I'll hide in a spot that they'll_ never _find…_ Hiro giggled to himself, running toward the woods. He pressed himself down on the dirt floor, hiding behind a small thicket of bushes, laughing as he heard Tadashi still counting down.

"What're you doing?"

Hiro almost jumped out of his hiding place. Turning around, he saw a figure looming behind him. Like a magic spell was cast, everything stopped. Clouds blocked the sun, the birds stopped singing, and the wind turned chilly and bitter. Shivering slightly, Hiro pressed a finger to his lips frantically, then whispered, "I'm playing hide and seek with my brother!"

"Can I play?" the figure asked. Hiro couldn't see the figure completely, but he could tell she was female. She looked younger than _kaa-san_, but older than Dashi.

Hiro opened his mouth to say sure, but a nagging voice at the back of his head whispered, _don't do it, you'll regret it._

When the child didn't reply immediately, the figure smiled coldly. Her hands shot out, wrapping around his little throat. Hiro gagged, clawing at the iron gripped that was locked around his neck.

"How mean," the figure sighed as Hiro struggled for air, "I just wanted to play with you… why is everyone so mean?" Hiro couldn't reply, mouth open and gasping for air. His vision started to dim. In the distance, he could hear his name being called…

The female leaned in closer, a cold voice playing in his ear. He could hear her sinister laugh as he started to feel his limbs go limp. "Remember me, boy."

Hiro shot out of bed, forehead drenched in cold sweat. He gasped for breath, trying to calm his racing heart. One hand instinctively felt his throat, where the figure in his dreams had throttled. It felt so real, like it was a distant memory that had just resurfaced. But how could it be? After all, in his dream he and Tadashi were as old as they were now, and his parents had been dead for almost 4 years…

Yet, that voice…

_Remember me, boy…_

Shuddering, Hiro climbed out of bed. There was no way he was going back to sleep after that nightmare. Stretching his arms above his head, he made his way downstairs and plopped down in front of the TV. He flipped through the channels, uninterested in what media had to offer (who cares about all this celebrity drama?).

Sighing, he rolled over and stared at the upside down worlds, leaning his feet on the couch. Mochi was curled up contently in the soft plush of the cushions, lazily enjoying the morning. _When will Dashi get back?..._ It had been nearly an hour since Tadashi left for his lab.

A knock echoed through the house. Excitedly, Hiro bounded towards the door. Just as he was about to yank the door open, he stopped. Tadashi should have the keys, right? Why would he knock?

A kind and familiar voice spoke to him through the door. "Hiro?"

* * *

><p>The figure walked over to the new Hamada household, trying to keep her head low to avoid strange looks. Several people on the streets smiled at her, and she politely dipped her head back in response.<p>

Turning the corner cautiously, she grinned triumphantly when she saw the moped was gone. Looks like big brother stepped out…

Walking up to the threshold, she took a deep breath, then exhaled. _Ok… go in, check out the place, then leave. Simple as that._

Carefully knocking on the door to check if anyone was home, she was surprised to hear a pair of small feet running to answer. It stopped right in front of the door, then stopped moving. Well, stranger danger.

Gently, she called out, "Hiro?"

Locks clicked as the child carefully opened the door. He peaked around the door, barely opening enough for her to see into the house.

Smiling kindly, she knelt down to look the child in the face. He looked relieved that it was someone he recognized, but still cautious. "Hey you," she murmured quietly. "Is Tadashi home?"

Hiro shook his head. "Dashi _nii-chan_ stepped out for a bit." Perfect.

"Do you mind if I come in for a bit? I _really_ need to talk to your brother." Ugh, this is why she hated kids. You have to talk really slowly, or they'll miss important details.

Hiro bristled in agitation. "You don't have to talk like that, I get what you're saying. I'm not a baby," he scoffed.

She kept the smile tight on her face. _Stupid brat…_

"Tadashi said not to let anyone in," the child continued. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to wait for him to come back."

"Could I wait for him inside?" she asked nicely. Every part of her body screamed at her to throttle the kid, but she had to resist. Her employer would _flay_ her if she killed the kid too soon.

A small _put-put_ sounded behind her. _Shit, guard dog is back…_

Tadashi Hamada stumbled off of his moped, a large red case in hand as he locked up his moped. Looking up, he looked surprised to see her standing in the doorway with the door barely open. "Umm… Hi? Can I help you?" he sounded breathless, as though he had just ran a mile.

"Dashi!" The child behind the door exclaimed happily. "This nurse lady said she needed to talk to you."

"Oh?" The older Hamada raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the woman before him. "What about?" Worry shadowed his gaze. "Is it about Hiro? Did the doctor say something happened? Or-"

"No, no. Everything's fine! Your brother is all set," she interjected hurriedly. "I was just here to do a little… check up. Make sure everything is all right and all."

Tadashi looked confused. "Wouldn't the doctor call us for that?"

"He was busy this week, no time!" she lied quickly. Now that the overprotecting one was here, there was no way she would be able to scout out anything. "Clearly, everything is fine," she smiled down at Hiro, who was still glaring at her suspiciously. "Well then… I'll be on my way." She bowed politely, then quickly walked away. As soon as they were out of sight, her mouth slid into a scowl._ I'll have to wait for them to both be out before I'm getting anywhere _near_ that house…_

* * *

><p>"Umm… okay?" Tadashi stared after the strange nurse that had hurriedly scurried away after he got home. "That was weird…"<p>

"You can say that again…" Hiro muttered. His eyes lit up as he threw the door open for Tadashi. "What took you so long, Dashi?"

"Sorry, there was traffic on the way back," Tadashi sighed as he lugged Baymax's case into the house. "Why are you up? I thought you said you were gonna sleep in?"

Hiro hesitated, looking down at the floor. He didn't want to worry his brother, but he did promise to tell whenever he had another nightmare. "I had a scary dream…"

Oh no. Tadashi scanned Hiro quickly, worry filling his mind. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"No…" Hiro shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. The scene looked familiar in his dream, but there was no way it could have happened before… could it?

"Want to talk about it?" Tadashi asked quietly, steering Hiro towards the couch.

Hopping onto the cushioned pillows, Hiro sighed. _Maybe Tadashi remembers…_

"When we were little, remember when we used to go to the park and have a picnic whenever mommy and daddy were home?"

"Of course." Those were one of Tadashi's fondest memories with his parents and little brother. Atsuki would make ham sandwiches and allow her children to buy a tall liter of soda each. Tadashi and Hiro would play together. They would roll down the hills, have friendly competitions, play tag, or hide and seek.

It was also during one of these picnics that the family realized Hiro had a peanut allergy. On their very first outing, when Hiro was 1 (almost 2) and Tadashi had just turned 12, Atsuki had made her family some good old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Hiro had taken a bite and immediately doubled over, struggling to breath. Hiruto rushed his son to emergency care while Tadashi and his mother stood in the waiting room in fear. A few hours later, Hiruto walked out with a sleeping Hiro in his arms and a very clear message: no peanuts for Hiro.

"Did we ever meet a strange lady in one of them?" Hiro asked hesitantly.

Tadashi scratched his head in deep thought. The last one they had was a while ago, and he was surprised that Hiro still remembered. "Umm… I'm not sure… I remember there was one time we went and mom and dad said we might meet some of their acquaintances? I can't remember actually seeing anyone though… Why do you ask?"

"Well," Hiro began, "in my dream, mommy and daddy were there. We were at the picnic, and you said to play hide and seek. So I hid behind the bushes in the woods. Then, there was the weird lady behind me that asked if she could play. And when I didn't answer…" he shuddered, remembering her iron claws wrapping around his throat, "she started to…" He swallowed, unable to continue. Instead, he touched his throat carefully, as though fearing it would start to bruise.

Tadashi got the hint. He pulled his baby brother into a tight embrace. Hiro was still shivering, heart pounding as he remembered the woman in his dream. "I'm pretty sure I would remember something like that happening…" Tadashi said quietly, trying to calm his little brother. "It was just a dream, Hiro."

"I know… but…" There was something about it that seemed familiar about her…

'Hey, don't worry about it!" Tadashi flicked his brother's nose lightly, attempting to lighten the mood. It worked. Hiro wrinkled his nose and smacked Tadashi's arm, scowling at his older brother.

Tadashi laughed in response. "Now… what should we do today, _otouto_?"

* * *

><p>She walked towards the train station, cursing when she saw her train was delayed for another hour. It had been a long day at the hospital, carrying tray after tray of medicine to disgusting, sickly patients. Oh, how she wished she could shoot them between the eyes and be done with them. Walking around and avoiding other people, she carefully made her way to the exit. Suddenly, a pair of gloved hands grabbed her, one twisting her arms behind her and another covering her mouth. Struggling against the strong grip, she panicked and looked around. Nobody was paying attention to her. No one noticed what was happening.<p>

The hands dragged her towards the shadows as she struggled, feet scuffling against the smooth marble floors. As soon as she was thrown into the gloom, she stumbled away from her captor, hand reaching into her purse for the hidden gun.

The figure before her stood silently, even as she pointed her shaking weapon at his face. Casually, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and proceeded to light it, as though mocking her. The little light from the lighter briefly lit the bottom half of his face, but it was enough.

She knew who it was.

Sighing, she stowed her gun back into its hiding place. "There are easier methods to get my attention, you know," she snapped, glaring at the figure before her. He wore a large dark brown trench coat, underneath it a crisp black suit. A brimmed hat covered his eyes, but in the dim light the lighter had provided for that split second, she saw it. The long scar that ran from his cheek to his collarbone.

The figure only chuckled coldly, his voice slightly muffled as he mumbled through his cigarette. "Now, where's the fun in that?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Right… giving me a heart attack is 'fun'," she snorted, brushing her pants off nervously. "I couldn't get in today. Both of them were home. But I'll check again tomorrow, when both of them are out of the apartment," she reported blankly, still angry with the man before her for scaring her.

"Boss ain't gonna be happy," he chuckled. "Just wait till he finds out…"

Quick as a flash, the woman pulled out her weapon and had it an inch away from his face before he could react. His face was still, but an amused smile curled up on his lips, as if the thought of her attempting to threaten him were funny.

"That's why," she breathed through gritted teeth, "you won't tell him. Otherwise," she cocked the gun threateningly, "I'll make sure of that."

"I don't interfere with my coworkers' business," he replied, shrugging indifferently at the threat. "However…"

Before she could draw a breath, he had her pinned against the wall with his left arm, while his right hand twisted her wrist and redirected the gun to her stomach. He pressed his arm roughly against her throat, cutting off her airway. She gasped for breath as she glared frozen daggers at him.

His gaze was equally as icy, if not more powerful. "Never," he hissed, moving his face closer to hers until they were nose to nose, "threaten me again. I'll have you remember who's the stronger one within our group."

Unable to respond, she simply glared at him, panic edging in when her vision started to blur. Mercilessly, he let go of her body, watching coldly as she collapsed on the floor, rubbing her throat and coughing for a breath.

"Weak," he scoffed, pulling the cigarette from behind his ear, taking another deep inhale from it. "Make sure to get your job done right next time." He threw what was left of the smoking roll on the floor and stomped his foot on it, centimeters away from her hand.

She flinched away from the foot that crashed down near her hand, then clenched her teeth. She knew she should just stay quiet if she wanted to live, but this guy seriously pissed her off, always walking around like some hot shot. As he walked away, she spit, "If I'm so weak, then why couldn't you kill a mere child?"

He froze. She struggled onto her feet, holding the wall for support as she kept talking. "A child that was 7 years old!" she panted. "He was practically a sitting duck! You had him cornered! And yet, you couldn't kill him. Don't tell me… you've gotten soft?"

That did it. He snapped. A blur of dark brown and black was all she saw when she was slammed, once again, against the wall. His right hand gripped her throat, and his left had his own weapon positioned right at her eye. "Why don't I reenact what happened that night with you?" he hissed furiously.

Swallowing, she refused to be intimidated, staring confidently at his livid face. "You wouldn't dare," she jeered. "Imagine how mad _he_ would be if you did it. After you disappointed him once already."

"Oi! What're you two doin' o'er there?!" The station security was making his way over to them, his voice deep with a thick European accent. Seems like they caught more attention than necessary.

"Nothing, sir," he replied smoothly, quickly stowing his weapon away. "My girlfriend was just a little overwhelmed by the amount of people here. Not a big fan of public transportation." He laughed lightly, shooting warning glances at her, pushing her to play along.

A forced smile curled on her lips. "I'm sorry, officer," she apologized quickly. "It's just that he _promised_ there wouldn't be that many people!" She pouted and slapped his arm, making it look teasing, while in actuality putting as much force as she could into each hit. His smile never faltered, but his eyes hardened with hatred.

Luckily, the stupid security guard was oblivious, and instead muttered, "Somethin' wrong with one o' the trains, miss," he explained. "Now the 'ole system is whacked!"

"Oh, darling do you hear that?" he wrapped an arm casually around her neck. "Wouldn't it be quicker to take the trolley?"

"I suppose…" she muttered, struggling with the heavy arm draped behind her.

The guard chuckled, then walked away, muttering "love birds…" under his breath.

As soon as he was out of sight, he released her, watching her stumble forward a few steps. "This isn't over," he hissed darkly, merging in easily with the crowd and disappeared.

She glared after him, rubbing her neck carefully. _Those boys are in for a real treat…_ she thought darkly as she made her way out the door. There was no way she was getting a train tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Old villains that are being reintroduced...<strong>

**Sorry if I insult anyone with the accent thing and the security guard... couldn't think of anything else -.- it's not that important, just thought it would be different haha**

**So what do you guys think is gonna happen next? O^O**

**Continue leaving reviews please! :3 Next update coming soon~**


	20. Chapter 19: Classes

**Yo yo yo :) back with more~**

**Have fun with this chapter! x)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 19: Classes<p>

"Why do all your classes have to be so early, Dashi?" Hiro yawned as he clambered on to the back of the moped.

Tadashi was running late. His first class was at 8:45, and he had a little over 10 minutes to get to the university. Hurriedly firing up his moped, he zoomed down the streets, feeling Hiro cling on to the back of his blazer in surprise. "I'm an early bird, little bro. You know that," he laughed as he felt Hiro grip on to his clothes tightly, scared of falling. "Plus, if I'm done early I can spend more time with you," he pointed out brightly.

Hiro, not sharing his brother's fondness for the early morning, merely yawned and leaned his head on Tadashi's back. He struggled to stay awake, not wanting to slip and fall off the speeding vehicle. That wouldn't be a nice wake up call for either of them.

* * *

><p>"Ok, I didn't have time to drop you off at the lab, so can you please promise to stay quiet?" Tadashi made it on campus with three minutes to spare, but he couldn't take Hiro to his lab and make it to class at the same time. Out of options, the older Hamada rushed his little brother with him into his first class.<p>

Hiro nodded, obediently taking a seat next Tadashi and shrinking down to keep himself hidden. Luckily, the lecture hall was really big, seating up to 80 students. The professor hopefully wouldn't see the seven year old within the crowd.

"What's the little man doing here?" Wasabi asked as he gently ruffled Hiro's hair. In another stroke of luck, his first class of the day was shared with all of his friends, a required statistics class. Wasabi, Gogo, Honey Lemon and Fred all took their seats besides Hiro, staring at the child in amazement.

"Morning, guys," Tadashi grinned as they settled down, pulling out notepads and pencils. Just then, the professor walked in, clicking a retractable pointer on the blackboard and signaling the students to settle down. Class was starting.

Quietly, Tadashi whispered, "No time to take him to the lab this morning, nothing I could do but bring him with me to class."

While the rest of his friends nodded in understanding, Fred brightly exclaimed, "Nice," a bit too loud for their liking.

Tadashi flinched when his professor whipped his head around to glare at the student that was disrupting his class. Professor Katsuki was a Japanese man who believed in the deep importance of education. He would stand for no interruption in his teaching, and his sharp glare only intensified with the help of his wire-rimmed glasses.

"Mr. Lee? Is there something you wish to share with the class?"

Tadashi and his friends help their breaths as Fred struggled for an explanation. _Don't see Hiro, don't see Hiro, _please_ don't see Hiro_, Tadashi chanted in his head while his brother sat by his side, oblivious to the situation at hand. Luckily, the professor was only focused on the disruptive student, who had a lazy grin plastered across his face.

"Nothing, Mr. K," he laughed casually. "Just noting how… _interesting_ this class is!"

Tadashi resisted the urge to face-palm. That would surely catch his teacher's attention.

Katsuki huffed. "I appreciate the _interest_ you have in my class, but please do so _silently_."

Quiet laughter echoed through the other students as Fred grinned apologetically.

* * *

><p>The rest of the classes passed with no other major issues. Hiro grabbed some papers and pens and started doodling out of boredom about twenty minutes into the professor's lecture. At first, Tadashi had struggled to pay attention to his class and keep an eye on Hiro. However, seeing that his brother was staying quiet and not alerting his teacher, Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief and focused on the lecture instead. Although he didn't like to admit it, there were a few things in this class that he didn't fully understand.<p>

This one problem on the board had Tadashi baffled. No matter how much he looked at the problem, he couldn't figure it out. While he was frowning at the equation, he didn't notice Hiro peeking at the question. He didn't notice Hiro rapidly scribble something onto his paper. He didn't notice his little brother's triumphant grin when he set his pen down and stared at his paper, then at the problem, then back at the paper.

An hour later, Professor Katsuki finally announced the class over. They received class credit from the work they did in class. Not wanting the professor to notice the child that had been in class all day, Honey Lemon offered to turn the paper in for him.

Waiting for everyone to get up and turn in their papers, Tadashi picked Hiro up and hurried out of the room. His professor was busy with the few students that were asking him for help on their assignments.

"Well, that was exhausting," Tadashi sighed as he put Hiro back on his feet. "Come on, buddy. Next class isn't till 10:45. Wanna go back to the lab now?"

Hiro nodded his head, excitement lighting in his eyes. "Can I go to all your other classes with you, Dashi? I'll behave! Please?" He glanced up at Tadashi, pushing his lips out in a puppy face pout.

Tadashi looked away quickly and Hiro tried not to smirk. He had already figured out that his older brother always melted at his puppy face. Usually he didn't use it unless he really needed to.

"Ugh… let's get something to eat," Tadashi groaned, trying to change the subject.

Hiro giggled as he followed after his brother. He didn't have an answer yet, so that was still a possible yes.

* * *

><p><em>Both kids are gone…<em> she thought in delight as she knocked on the door again. Just as she was about to pick the lock, an old woman walking her dog walked by.

"I wouldn't bother knocking," the old woman called out. "Those brothers are out."

"Ohh, I'm from the hospital. Doctor told me to drop off some medicine," she explained. "I called them before and they told me to use the spare key."

The old lady frowned at the "spare key" part of the story. "That's not safe… tell those youngsters to get rid of that!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Still grumbling, the old lady shuffled off, her dog barking excitedly.

She continued to smile, waving as the little old lady turned the corner. Checking that no one else would come by, she continued to work on the lock. The "spare key" was a lie, something she made up at the spot.

Hissing in success, she opened the door and entered the house, carefully closing the door behind her.

A ferocious hiss made her jump as soon as the door closed. A fat calico cat spat and clawed at the air between them. However, after he recognized her, he stopped and purred calmly.

The woman smiled, stroking the cat as he circled around her leg. After spending almost a month in the hospital with her constantly walking into the room, there was no way the feline wouldn't recognize her. Silently, she walked around the rooms, looking for the perfect place to put the listening device her boss had instructed her to do.

Determining the bottom floor had no place she could put it and catch their speaking, she walked up the stairs and carefully entered their room. It was almost amusing how drastically different the two sides were. The larger side of the room (assumingly Hiro's, from the plush robot that lay on the unmade bed) was a mess. It looked like a tornado had passed by. Clothing was strewn all over the floor, and piles of books were sloppily tossed into a corner. A brown beanbag by the neat paper curtain was full of wrinkles, with more books littered around the seat. Posters were taped on the wall, and a computer sat on his desk, which was filled with piles of paper. Clothes could be seen poking out of drawers, looking ready to burst from how tightly packed it was. Action figures stood on shelves and littered the desk and floor. How he walked around without stubbing a toe was a mystery.

The smaller side (Tadashi's) was neat, everything carefully placed and in order. The bed was made, his clothes were carefully put away in his drawers, and the twin beanbag was wrinkle free. All the books were neatly placed in a bookshelf, along with several pictures of the brothers and their aunt. She couldn't fight the smile that rose on her lips as she looked at how happy their little family looked. A surfboard stood next to his bed. However, it looked untouched, as though it were a hobby that had long been forgotten. Several pictures and posters hung neatly on the walls.

She smiled at the fact that Tadashi had given the larger space to his little brother. She almost felt guilty for doing what she was doing, working to hurt the boys. _But I have to… otherwise…_

She shook her head. _I can't be weak now_, she thought confidently. Guilt gnawed at her as she placed the listening device behind the picture of their family. Swallowing the lump in her throat as she quietly closed the door behind her, she whispered, "I'm sorry…" Making sure to relock the door, she made her way down the streets, dialing a number and waiting for her call to connect.

"What is it?" a voice snapped from the other end.

Gritting her teeth in hatred, she spit back, "It's done. You should be able to connect now."

The voice on the other end snorted. "About time, too. I was considering telling the boss about how you failed last time."

She bristled. "Don't you dare!" she snapped. "I didn't tell him of your mistake in the past. You owe me!"

He snarled back at her, "Fine, fine! I'll keep this a secret this time…"

"Good," she huffed, angry at this short conversation. "I'm back at the hospital, I have to go."

"Whatever…" was the reply when she quickly hung up and walked through the sliding doors.

"Oh, you're back!" A fellow nurse looked up and smiled kindly as she walked in. "How was your lunch break?"

She smiled back. "It was good. Found this delicious little sandwich shop a few blocks down. I'll take you sometime!"

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, the puppy face didn't work this time (much to Hiro's surprise). He and Hiro went back to the lab, where Baymax stood by and watched the younger Hamada. Several of the other students in the lab had stopped by and talked excitedly with child prodigy, even asking for advice for their own projects. At first, Hiro was shocked that older students were asking for his help, and even a little scared. However, after some coaxing from Tadashi, he opened up and laughed along with each student that dropped by.<p>

As Tadashi's next class ticked closer, the older Hamada sighed and ruffled his little brother's hair. "Gotta go, _otouto_," he said, heart clenching when he saw the sadness that showed in his younger brother's eyes. This was the one day that all of their friends had classes. Hiro would be left alone in the lab with Baymax and a bunch of strangers.

"Okay…" Hiro murmured, looking down.

Tadashi readjusted his cap, then lightly tapped his little brother's forehead. "Hey," he said as he smiled. "I'll be back in an hour. Then we'll go out for some food, alright?"

Hiro giggled. "Alright. I'll see you later!"

"Yup!" Tadashi laughed, giving his a quick hug goodbye.

As he opened the door, a pair of wrapped around Tadashi's leg. Surprised, Tadashi looked down to see Hiro clinging onto his leg. The child smiled his gapped tooth smile up at the teen. "Last hug."

Smiling at Aunt Cass's old goodbye ritual, Tadashi kneeled down and gave Hiro a big hug. "See you later, bonehead."

* * *

><p>"Here's the receiver," she said coldly, roughly plopping the device into his outstretched hand.<p>

"Perfect," he chuckled, taking a breath out of his cigarette.

"No smoking near a hospital, idiot!" she hissed, smacking his hand down. He growled in anger as his precious cigarette fell to the floor.

"Don't tell me you're getting soft and actually _caring_ for these sickening peasants."

"I'm not," she argued. "You'll be arrested if someone sees! And that's the last thing we need right now."

"Right," he snorted disbelievingly, quickly putting out the smoldering paper stick.

* * *

><p>"<em>Nii-chan<em>, I'm hungry…" Hiro whined, dragging at his brother's hand.

Tadashi had finished his class about five minutes ago. As soon as he walked into his office he was tackled down by a squealing child. While Hiro was busy gushing about all the people he helped while Tadashi was gone, Baymax stood over them and stared at the brothers that were on the floor.

The robot blinked, then blankly stated, "You have fallen."

"Yea, thanks for that information, buddy," Tadashi laughed, ruffling Hiro's hair as he got up. "Wanna grab some lunch, little brother?"

Hiro nodded excitedly, stomach growling loudly. "I'm starving, Dashi! Let's get some food!"

The Hamada brothers found a small Italian restaurant on campus and decided to settle for that. Their friends were all still in class, and wouldn't be out until later. They told the brothers to eat without them, and they would go out for dinner later that week.

Hiro slurped on his spaghetti loudly, red tomato sauce covering his lips. While Tadashi was politely eating his chicken fettuccini, he would occasionally reach across the table to wipe his little brother's face clean. The child would try to avoid the napkin in protest, but his brother would always win at the end.

"Mr. Hamada!"

A voice sounded across the cafeteria, surprising both brothers.

_Oh no… _Professor Katsuki was making his way towards their table. Swallowing his mouthful of noodles, Tadashi glanced quickly at Hiro, who was over the initial shock and was busy devouring a roll of garlic bread.

"Professor Katsuki! What a surprise!" Tadashi looked around nervously. _Oh god… did he find out about Hiro being in class?_

"Yes, yes… what a surprise… mind if I sit?" The teacher gestured to the empty chair besides the brothers.

Tadashi swallowed nervously. Well, he couldn't really say no to his professor…

"Of course!" Tadashi laughed shakily, standing up and bowing slightly as the teacher sat.

Katsuki nodded approvingly at his half-Japanese student. Although he wasn't fully Japanese, the teen still remembered his manners. "I'm here to discuss with you about the math problems from this morning…"

"I figured them out!" Hiro piped in suddenly, beaming happily at the teacher with his sauce stained face.

Surprised, the usually strict teacher softened and smiled. Hiro's charm worked with the professor as well. "Well, well, who's this?"

"I'm Hiro!" the child smiled, dipping his head into a makeshift bow as he sat in the chair.

"My little brother," Tadashi quickly explained. He wasn't really sure why his professor was there.

"My, another well mannered one…" the Japanese man chuckled. "Hello, Hiro. I'm Professor Katsuki."

"The teacher from this morning," Hiro noted and nodded.

Tadashi groaned inwardly. Any hopes that the teacher didn't notice were gone. Hiro blew it.

However, to the older Hamada's surprise, the professor merely laughed and said, "Yes, that was me. Now, I'm here to talk to you about this…" Katsuki pulled out a piece of paper from his briefcase, placing it on the table for both brothers to see.

Tadashi recognized Hiro's messy scrawl and doodles immediately.

Quickly, Tadashi bowed his head deeply and reached over and pushed Hiro's head down in a similar bow. "Look, Professor Katsuki, I'm really sorry for disrupting your class. I was almost late this morning, and I didn't have time to-"

"Calm down, Mr. Hamada," Katsuki laughed. Both brothers looked up in confusion (Hiro was confused as to why Tadashi had him bow in the first place…). "I understand that you can't leave your brother by himself. But the reason I came to show you this was-"

"I solved it!" Hiro exclaimed again, cutting the professor off. Tadashi glanced at the teacher, afraid his little brother had insulted the Japanese man.

The teacher looked amused, and instead of insult, looked impressed. "Yes, that's right," the teacher confirmed. Shocked, Tadashi grabbed the paper and glanced at the messy equations quickly.

"Unbelievable…" Tadashi breathed. The very problems he had been struggling to solve were messily, but correctly solved. What was even more impressive was that the child had solved it in one take, as he was using a pen. There were a few scratched out answers here and there, but overall, it looked neater than everyone else's work had looked.

Katsuki chuckled as Tadashi looked at the paper, then at Hiro, then repeatedly whipped his head back and forth between the two. "Your brother is certainly very smart, Tadashi," the teacher said. "To be completely honest, I noticed him when Mr. Lee interrupted my lecture this morning, but I noticed he was looking at all the problems I had up and was busy writing them down. I was curious to see what would happen, so I didn't say anything. But now…" The teacher laughed again in shocked disbelief. "_Now_ I see how special your brother truly is. Good work, Hiro-kun!"

Hiro blushed a deep red at the compliment, murmuring his thanks as he looked down in embarrassment.

Tadashi grinned in pride. "No kidding!" He ruffled his brother's hair good-naturedly, beaming at the child genius.

"Just be sure not to disrupt my class, young man," Katsuki wagged a finger at Hiro jokingly. "Otherwise, you are more than welcome to join in on my lecture."

"_Arigatou, sensei_!" Hiro cried happily, bouncing in his seat at the thought of being able to go to the same class as Tadashi.

"You're welcome, Hiro-kun," the teacher smiled, then stood up to leave. "Well now, I should be preparing for my next class… I'll be seeing you two around then." Tipping his head to the brothers politely, the teacher took his suitcase and walked out of the student filled room.

"Well then…" Tadashi said after the teacher was gone. "I guess that means we'll be classmates for one class, little brother."

Hiro giggled happily as he finished up his meal. "Can't wait," he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

* * *

><p>He started tweaking with the buttons of the receiving side of the listening device. Glancing at the clock, he cursed when he realized the brothers had yet to get home from school. He sighed, pushing away from the desk and lit a cigarette. A bottle of beer was clutched in his hand, occasionally swinging up to his mouth as he took giant swigs of the alcohol.<p>

Absentmindedly, he raised a hand to his face, lightly brushing his scar with his fingertips. He growled as he remembered how he received it.

_He was young, running down the halls toward the lab. The boss had heard noises through the security feed, but the image had cut off before they could figure out what was happening._

"_Curses…" the boss growled. "Leave it to two geniuses to cause chaos at the labs. Go figure out what happened!" he barked at his employee._

_The young man ran towards the large doors, fumbling with his security card to open the door. As soon as the door opened, he was blown back by a gust of wind. Head spinning from hitting the wall, he pulled out his gun and aimed it at the two retreating figures._

_The Hamada's had done it. They had managed to create a temporary teleportation portal that could allow them and every other trapped scientist to escape. The other scientists had already disappeared into the portal, leaving the Hamada standing there, colors of the portal flickering along the walls. Papers and valuable data were sucked into the portal, losing all the precious documents needed for their Project._

_Hiruto Hamada waved wildly at his wife, gesturing for her to hurry and escape. Hesitantly, Astuki stared at her husband in fear before disappearing into the swirling colors._

_He was furious. They were escaping on his watch. Training his pistol and aiming at it at the scientist, he screamed, "Hamada!"_

_Hiruto looked at the man before him, pain and sadness shining in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Koetsu-kun! This has to be done!"_

_Koetsu's hands shook. He couldn't do it. He couldn't shoot his only friend._

_Suddenly, a shot rang through the air. Hiruto grunted as he ducked, literally dodging a bullet._

_Koetsu looked to his side to see his boss, his eyes blazing with anger. "What do you think you're doing, Hamada?" his voice cold as he cocked his weapon to shoot again._

"_I don't think so!" Hiruto hissed, pulling out a chip. "This is the only one that's left. Now, are you really going to risk that?"_

_The large man froze, growling when he realized his predicament. There was no way he would be able to remake his project, with all the data and long worked on papers fluttering away into the portal._

"_I should've done this a long time ago!" Hiruto hissed, slowly backing up towards the portal. Just as he was about to enter, he crushed the little chip in his hand._

"_NOO!" the large man bellowed, charging towards the escaping figure. Terrified, Hiruto flipped over a table full of chemicals and beakers. Liquid and large shards of glass flew towards the charging man._

"_Watch out!"_

_Shocked, and in silent horror, Hiruto watched as his friend pushed his boss down, allowing a rather large piece of glass to bury itself in his face. Koetsu screamed when a sudden gust of strong wind pushed the glass down to his collarbone before clattering to the floor. The injured man clutched his face and neck, blood spilling from between his hands._

_In deep anguish, Hiruto whispered, "I'm sorry," before he turned and ran into the portal. The portal collapsed and disappeared in a large gust of wind._

"_DAMN!" the boss kicked the table, heaving in rage as he watched the object clatter on the floor. Koetsu only clung at his face, blood still flowing from his face. He glared at the spot Hiruto Hamada had just stood, hatred glowing in his dark eyes. The man that he had believed to be his friend had just cost his boss years of effort and money. He had caused all the destruction in the lab with his invention. But most importantly, he had injured him; his "friend" had actually caused him physical injury._

_Cold rage filled the young man. He shakily stood up, still pressing his hands on his wound. "Sir," he said coolly, hatred still seeping in his voice._

"_What, what, WHAT?!" the large man was frustrated, and he wanted nothing more than to hunt down the Hamada's and wipe out their entire family. He knew he shouldn't have allowed them such freedom, but Tomoe had insisted…_

"_Let me take them," Koetsu hissed. "Let me be the one to destroy their lives."_

"_Fine," the larger man snapped. "But get the job done right."_

"_Yes, sir." Koetsu bowed and walked back down the hall, eyes as hard as stone._

"_Inoue!" the large man barked, dragging a shivering body out from the shadows. "You were supposed to _watch_ them!"_

Eyes narrowing as he remembered the past, he yelled and threw the beer bottle against the wall. The bottle shattered on contact, liquid spreading across the wall and the floor. Panting in fury, Koetsu hissed and sat back down, eyes still blazing with rage.

_That damn Hiruto… If it wasn't for him…_ Koetsu pulled out his gun and dismantled it in lightning speed. With equal speed, he reassembled it again, examined the barrel, then disassembling it again. He did this about ten times, clearly needing something to take his mind off of the past.

A noise clicked across the device on his desk. Cautiously, he placed his half assembled weapon on the table, scooting over to the mechanism.

"-dashi…-wha-…for din-…-night?"

The reception was shaky at first, but soon cleared up.

"How 'bout some udon?" The older Hamada's reply was more distant, as though he were in a different room.

"Okay!" A younger, more excited voice replied closer to the device.

Koetsu grinned. _Perfect. Now, we wait…_

* * *

><p><strong>Decided to show off more of Hiro's intelligence haha...<strong>

**Also a bit more background on why the bad guys are so mad at the Hamada family. So far, we have a name for one of them...**

**Also, I read this thing on tumblr that said Tadashi surfing was canon, so I decided to sneak that in there too xD maybe I'll have a beach trip with the bro's and their friends, hm... hehe~**

**So now we know what Project New Life is about, and one of the bad guy's name... what do you think the connection between him and the Hamada parents are? I need ideas! :S**

**Keep commenting! They really help my writing :)**


	21. Chapter 20: Same Profile

**Sorry I haven't updated in a bit... I kinda have this slump where I know what I want to happen, but just haven't been able to actually write it down and be satisfied with it O-o Anyone else have this problem? haha I feel your pain...**

**But on the bright side, this story hit 200+ followers! Yay!~ *throws confetti everywhere***

**Thanks, you guys x3 it makes me really happy knowing that so many people enjoy reading the stuff I write :)**

**But, I would never have been able to continue this story if it wasn't for all the positive feedback and nice comments I've been receiving since the first chapter xD You guys are awesome~ *insert in 2 hour long speech of appreciation***

* * *

><p>Chapter 20: Same Profile<p>

Medically speaking, he wasn't supposed to have survived that injury. When he had just received it, his rage and adrenaline had kicked in and helped numb the pain. However, a few minutes later, he collapsed, dizzy from blood loss and the agonizing pain that throbbed on his face and neck.

Then, she came.

Their employer was somewhat of a crazed businessman, who forced scientists to create inventions for him. He would then invest in the objects, gaining him fame and fortune after only a few years. Unfortunately for the scientists, his methods were by far the worst imaginable. He would pull dirty tricks, be it kidnapping, threatening family, or forcing faulty contracts on to the poor geniuses. As long as he got his way, he didn't care.

_She_ was one of the people that he had destroyed. He had forced her to watch as all of her family members died of an unknown disease. This was especially painful for her, as she was a highly acclaimed medical prodigy who had a bright future before her. After her entire family was wiped out, society tossed her away, even going as far as saying the praises she had received were not deserved. With nowhere else to go, she could only turn to the company, defeated.

That man had something to do with it. Of course he had something to do with it. He was always the one that destroyed lives and families. In pure rage when she had rejected his first offer, he had her family killed. Simple as that. No paperwork that led back to him, no incriminating evidence, no proof. Just her word against his. A broken genius against a wealthy, high profiled businessman. It wasn't just an uphill battle; it was doomed to fail from the beginning.

Although he didn't want to tell her, Koetsu knew there was no way out as soon as the boss had his eyes set on her.

She didn't have to do it. She could have left him to die. He didn't know what possessed her to treat him, either from pity or sympathy. All he remembered from that night was, after the Hamada's disappeared into the swirling portal, he black out on his way to the medical ward. She found him a few minutes later, and instead of taking him to the nursing room, dragged him back to her lab and began treating his injury.

"Okay… this has just been tested and is a special medicine that should speed up healing," she had hissed to him after cleaning off most of the blood.

He frowned. He remembered his boss saying something about a new developmental drug that was going to earn them millions, but there was only one existing serum. They had yet to create another.

"Ohh, he'll have my _head_ if he knows I used this on you…" she muttered, fear lighting in her eyes. Smiling grimly at him, she pushed the needle into his neck, injecting the precious serum into his bloodstream.

He blacked out again.

* * *

><p>Koetsu woke up with a jerk. Somewhere in the night he had fallen asleep, listening to the Hamada brothers argue over some trivial theories of robotics.<p>

_If only they knew their idol professor is actually working against them_, he thought darkly. Stretching, he glanced at the clock. Then he froze.

Someone was in the room with him.

Yanking out his gun, he cautiously raised it up, scanning the dim room carefully. Shadows covered the walls as the sun slowly sank below the hills.

"Hey, hey, it's just me. Don't shoot me in the face, please," a voice giggled from behind him.

"Ah!" Koetsu stumbled forward in surprise. Landing on the floor, he twisted so he could raise his weapon to the intruder. He froze when he recognized who it was.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop _doing_ that?" he growled in frustration, putting the weapon back into its holster. "One of these days I'm going to actually shoot you."

"Sorry." A young, adolescent girl stood before him, giggling into her hand. Her dark hair was cropped short, resting lightly on her neck. A dark beanie rested on her head, matching with her equally dark outfit, a black tank top, black shorts and dark boots. Fingerless black gloves covered her hands. A belt rested around her hips, stocked full of weapons and supplies.

"What are you doing back in town?" the man stood up and moved a chair over for the girl to sit in.

"Just got back from a mission," she shrugged, gladly taking a seat. "Wanted to drop over to meet my second favorite person in the whole world!"

"Go home, Chiyeki," Koetsu sighed. "Boss probably wants you to report back soon."

"True…" the girl rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Just then, the receiver sounded, filling the room with the Hamada brothers' conversation.

"_What time is your class tomorrow, Tadashi?"_

"_Professor cancelled the first class, so next one isn't till 10:45."_

"_Can we go to the lab then?"_

"_Sure thing, buddy."_

"Is that them?" the girl asked quietly, hatred seeping into her usual light tone.

"How many times have I told you?" Koetsu tried to explain carefully. "This is _my_ issue. _My_ grudge. Stay out of it."

"But the parent's faults carries over to the children doesn't it?" she argued. "Just like how these two should pay for the mess their parents caused."

"You're not my kid," Koetsu snapped harshly. The girl cringed at his cold words. "Now go home! Leave!"

Hurt filled the girls eyes. Bowing stiffly as a farewell, she climbed out of the window, her original entrance into his room.

_Damn brat_, he thought to himself while muttering curses under his breath. _This is why I hate kids._

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Dashi!" Tiny hands shoved against his side, trying to nudge him awake.<p>

"Huh? What?" Tadashi muttered, opening one eye sleepily. His lids were heavy, threatening to shut any second.

"We're gonna be late! Wake _up_, you lazy big brother!" Now the tiny hands resorted to trying to pull off his covers. A few tugs and an _oof_ later, Tadashi finally sat up, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes.

Hiro was sitting on the floor, tangled up with the blanket that he had successfully pulled off of his brother. The child was busy struggling with the covers and didn't realize Tadashi had gotten up (laughing) and walked over to help him escape the fabric prison.

"Thanks for trying to wake me up, bud," Tadashi yawned. It was one of the rare occasions where Hiro actually woke up before him. He ended up staying up past 4 am digging through the flash drive, desperate for more information. Looking at the clock, he sighed when he realized he had only gotten 4 hours of sleep. Smiling tiredly at his little brother, he held out his hand. "Let's change and get ready to head to the lab, 'kay?"

* * *

><p>Chiyeki stood on the roof of the building that overlooked the Hamada residence. She glared at the two figures as they walked out of the house, laughing without a care in the world. She snorted. <em>The youngest is just a brat. What's so special about him?<em> The child was small with a mess of hair that looked like an animal slept in it. She could see a small gap between his two front teeth. She squinted at the larger figure, presumably the older brother. Their files had said he had a black belt in karate. She had pictured him to be some muscular and burly man, but he didn't look that tough. He was tall and slim, and unlike his younger brother, had his hair neatly tucked under a San Fransokyo Ninja's cap.

As Koetsu had predicted, her boss had expected her to report back as soon as she was done with her mission, and was not happy when she told him why she didn't go straight to him when she was done. She cringed as she remembered how mad he had been when she lamely said, "I wanted to see Koetsu-san."

The sound of a motor starting snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked back just in time to see the brothers zoom away on a moped.

_I'll follow them for a bit_, she decided, preparing herself to jump to the next rooftop. She trailed after the red moped, determined to find out why everyone was so interested in these two brothers.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Hamada bros!" Fred greeted the brothers as they walked into the lab.<p>

"Morning, Fred. Is there a game today?" Tadashi asked, noticing his friend's attire. The blond student was wearing his green mascot suit and twirling a sign around his head.

"Yep. SFIT against some top notch school from New Yosaka," Fred shrugged as he spun the sign on his finger like pizza. "No classes today, so I dressed early."

"Umm…" Tadashi looked at the time. "It's 8:45 am. Isn't that a bit too early?"

"Of course not!" Fred threw the sign up in the air like a baton then caught it behind his back. He held it up triumphantly like a trophy. "School spirit for the win!"

"All right then," Tadashi chuckled, dragging Hiro away from the over excited student. By the way Fred was practicing, he could knock over a bunch of people with his sign and he probably wouldn't even notice.

"Morning, guys!" Wasabi greeted them cheerfully as the brothers made their way to Tadashi's office.

"Hey, Wasabi!" Tadashi smiled as Wasabi knelt down to ruffle Hiro's hair. "Where are Honey Lemon and Gogo?"

Wasabi scratched his head in thought. "Honey went to the chem teacher's office I think… and Gogo's Gogo. She'll probably be here in a bit."

"Cool. Thanks."

"No problem." The large man walked back to his station to continue his project.

"Okay buddy, here we are." Tadashi opened the door to his office. Hiro charged in, immediately diving for the plush sofa that was shoved into the corner (Tadashi had decided that after the rolling chair incident he didn't want Hiro falling asleep and waking up possibly hurting himself, so he ordered a small couch for his office).

"Baymax! Ow!" Hiro called out as he lounged across the cushions.

The robot inflated out of his case and waved. "Hello. I was alerted by a sound of distress." He blinked, then tipped his head to the side. "I do not see any signs of injury on either of you."

"Good morning, Baymax," Hiro giggled at the robot's confusion.

"Good morning, Hiro."

Tadashi sighed in amusement. Even though manually activating Baymax was easy, Hiro still chose to activate the robot by saying "ow." He walked over to his desk and turned on his computer. Digging the flash drive out of his bag, he placed it on his desk before walking out of the office with a quick "getting some breakfast" at Hiro.

Hiro plugged the flash drive into the computer and continued scrolling from where Tadashi had last left off. Even though it had been almost two months since the fire, the brothers hadn't even gotten through a quarter of the files their parents had left them.

Trying something different, Hiro scrolled all the way to the bottom and started going up from there.

"Find anything new, _otouto_?" Tadashi's muffled voice asked from the office door. Turning around, Hiro found out why. One of his brother's hands was holding a tray with two steaming cups and he was balancing a paper bag in the crook of his other arm while using his hand to open the door. He had another paper bag clenched between his teeth and he struggled to balance everything.

"I'm looking at it from another angle!" Hiro announced happily, quoting something his brother had told him so many years ago. Baymax walked over to help his creator hold some of the items in his grasp. Tadashi let out a breath of relief when the bag he held in his mouth was removed.

The child bounced over to his older brother. "What's for breakfast, _nii-chan_?"

"Blueberry muffin with a side of scrambled eggs." Tadashi said as he pulled out a small fold out table. "Hot coffee for me, and hot milk for you."

"Milk?" Hiro stuck out his tongue. "Blegh!"

"Come on," Tadashi grunted as he struggled with the fold out table (it's harder to work out than it looks…). "It's good for you! Plus, it'll help you grow."

Out of the corner of his eye, Tadashi saw Hiro perk up at the mention of growing taller. He smirked. Jackpot.

Truthfully, Hiro was extremely self-conscious about his height. He was seven, but he was shorter than all the other kids in his age group. It didn't help that his brother was such a giant. He barely reached Tadashi's waist!

"I guess it's not that bad…" he mumbled, tugging at the metal bars to try and help his brother unfold that darn table.

* * *

><p>After their breakfast (Hiro had chugged the milk as soon as it was cool enough and asked Tadashi to measure him and see if he grew), Tadashi went to the computer to look at the files again. Placing Hiro in his lap, both brothers stared at the screen intently.<p>

A few minutes of silence passed by them.

Tadashi glanced at the clock. 9:43. He had roughly an hour left before class starts.

"Wait, scroll back down."

"Did you find something?" Tadashi moved a few files down, waiting for Hiro's signal to stop.

The child was squinting at the screen. "Maybe… I thought I saw- aha!" A victorious grin stretched across his face. "There!"

Curious, Tadashi clicked open the file. It was a regular document, but each page had a name on it with a picture attached, like a profile.

On the very first page was their father.

"That's what got my attention," Hiro admitted. "I thought I saw _tou-san's_ picture."

"What is this…" Tadashi murmured, leaning forward to get a closer look at the separate profiles. Hiro squeaked as his brother's movement caused him to move forward as well.

The first and second page was of their parents, but the other 48 were of other people. People that Tadashi had never seen before. But their names were all so familiar…

"Mina Fujiwara, Tom Adler, Ji Soo Kim, Ryan Frost… why do I feel like I've seen these names somewhere…" Tadashi muttered as he read the names.

Hiro's eyes widened as he read the names and the information in their profiles. "Dashi, wait!" He grabbed the mouse and scrolled up to Ji Soo Kim. "Look at her profile!"

Frowning, Tadashi skimmed the profile. It looked normal enough: born and raised in South Koralina, went to school at a prestigious high school, graduated top of her class, received several doctorates and masters degrees in robotics and computer technology…

"What's your point? It looks like a regular profile to me-"

"Now look at this one," Hiro cut Tadashi off and scrolled down to Mina Fujiwara.

Same basic profile: SFIT alumni, masters in robotics.

"Next."

Ryan Frost: New Yosaka Tech, masters in robotics and engineering.

All these people had a major in robotics, along with several other degrees ranging from medicine to engineering.

"Ah!" The thought suddenly occurred to Tadashi. He remembered why these names looked so familiar. Opening the folder again, Tadashi pulled up one of the many video clips that he had watched.

The clip showed their parents. Their father was typing in code on a computer, muttering under his breath occasionally, but their mother was nowhere to be seen. While he typed, he suddenly called out, "Ji Soo-ssi*, can you double check these codes for me?"

A beautiful Korean woman appeared next to their father, round glasses resting on her slim nose. Tadashi paused the video and zoomed in to her nametag. It read _Kim Ji Soo_.

"There are a ton of these videos," Tadashi explained to Hiro, who looked slightly confused at how he knew which video to watch. "Most of them are just mom and dad working and talking to the camera, but some of them have other people with them. The names were familiar cuz I've seen these videos so many times, and their nametags kinda jump out. Look…"

He pulled up another video clip, this one of his mother chatting in Japanese with a short Japanese woman. He paused the video again and zoomed in. _Mina Fujiwara_.

"How do _kaa-san_ and _tou-san_ know these people?" Hiro wondered.

"I'm not sure…" Tadashi murmured. A sudden thought struck him and he excited exclaimed, "Maybe they'll know what's up with this project! And why… well…" he glanced uncomfortably at Hiro, who was still sitting in his lap. Tadashi didn't want to say it out loud, in fear of hurting his little brother, but he was pretty sure Aunt Cass's death had something to do with it. And the fact that someone had tried to kill Hiro.

Hiro understood what Tadashi meant, but stayed quiet. "Shouldn't you be going to class, _nii-chan_?" he asked quietly.

Tadashi mentally kicked himself. _Good job, you just brought back all the bad memories_, he chastised himself. "Sorry, little brother," Tadashi mumbled apologetically, nuzzling his face into his brother's fluffy hair. He laughed when he heard Hiro's muffled complaints. "Hey, come on. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Hiro asked, confused. The only place that they usually went was school, and they were there already.

"Here," Tadashi searched up Ji Soo Kim's name and found a page dedicated to her work. "It says that she works as one of the head consultants at Krei Tech. Maybe if we can talk to her…"

"Then we'll know more about what's going on!" Hiro finished excitedly, all sadness and confusion pushed away. "But, Dashi" he turned his head, brown eyes widened. "Are you really okay with missing class?"

"Nah, this is more important," Tadashi chuckled, ruffling Hiro's hair.

The child stared at his older brother. Tadashi Hamada, star student with a perfect grade point average and an attendance record to match (not counting the month he took off after the accident) was willing to ditch a day of class? "Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" Hiro asked, a smirk playing at his lips.

Tadashi rolled his eyes. "Let's go, bonehead. Wouldn't want to miss a chance to find out the truth!"

* * *

><p>She had followed them all the way to the school. She stopped when they entered the large building. Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab? It's sounds so familiar…<p>

A throbbing pain exploded in her head. Startled, she held her pounding head in confusion. What just happened?...

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Looking at the screen, she saw a message from her employer.

_Come back. Now._

Sighing, she climbed a fire escape to stand on the roof of a building. Giving the robotics lab one last glance, she ran towards the opposite edge and gracefully soared to the opposite roof, landing lightly on the balls of her feet.

_I'm gonna have to find out what happened some later time…_

* * *

><p>"Tomoe, my doll, we'll have what we want soon."<p>

Tomoe sat in her armchair, repainting her claw like nails. A new carpet was laid across the floor, which had been scrubbed clean.

Examining her blood red nails, she carefully coated them with another layer as she spoke into the phone balanced on her shoulder. "Are you sure? No more setbacks?"

"None whatsoever. I'm gonna send Koestu over in a few days to… 'invite' them over to our corporate party."

"Ohh… it's show time," she giggled, blowing on her drying nails. Grinning, she held out her hands in front of her, admiring the new color. "I think I've found my new favorite color, darling!"

"I'll buy you the whole company it you wish," her husband crooned to her over the phone.

"Oh, you do know how to charm a girl, don't you." She smiled slightly, capping the nail polish.

"Oh no… I'm sorry, doll. I have to go back to work," he sighed. "I'll see you later tonight."

Sending a quick kiss into the speaker, she carefully placed it back into the holder. She grimaced and hissed, "I'm getting tired of playing these games." She snapped her fingers and the door flew open.

"You called, ma'am?"

"Ah, Chiyeki." The woman smiled, then raised her hand, signaling the girl to approach her. "We have some things to discuss."

* * *

><p><strong>*-ssi: Korean honorific, kinda like -san for Japanese<strong>

**Tada! Introducing a new character :) If there are too many characters to remember, please comment and I'll make a quick chart of how many characters have been introduced so you guys can keep track of them all~**

**Again, thank you guys! You're all amazing!**

**Continue commenting :3 and following/favoriting~ I'll be sure to update soon! :)**


	22. Chapter 21: Everything

**Hi all! Sorry for not updating this past week O^O It's been busy, starting school, moving back in, yada yada yada...**

**Also, I was working on another piece of fanart, so that took up a lot of time too :P**

**I'll keep up with updates this week for sure :) I've got the story back on track and I have the ideas all down again!**

**Anyways, enjoy this long awaited chapter!**

**Also, for those that asked, there will be a quick directory for all my OC bad guys at the end of this chapter, so a quick heads up for everyone else. There will be spoilers for _my story_, NOT for the movie! (LOL at this point, I'm pretty sure everyone's seen it, but just in case)~ ;)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 21: Everything<p>

"Well, this is it." Tadashi glanced at the address, then at the tall building before him. Sparkling glass reflected the sun's rays from each window. The white structure stood tall, looming over many smaller buildings. A large sign that read _Kreitech_ was placed at the top of the building in large, bold letters. A marvelous square, full with a grand fountain and benches laid in front of the office.

"At least it looks better than fox lady's office," Hiro offered weakly, readjusting the shoulder straps on his small backpack.

Tadashi murmured in agreement as the brothers made their way towards the front doors. Unlike Tomoe's office building, which had a dark atmosphere around it, Alistair Krei's building was pristine and white. It almost hurt to look at directly; Tadashi was resisting the urge to grab a pair of sunglasses.

"Well," Tadashi sighed. "Here goes nothing." He grabbed Hiro's hand and walked through the gleaming glass doors. The inside was almost as bright as the outside. Sparkling marble slates decorated the floor, perfectly reflecting the Hamada brothers' images. The receptionist was typing away on her keyboard, earphones plugged in and humming a song quietly. She didn't notice the brothers enter but looked up when they approached the desk. Pulling out one ear bud, she looked at Tadashi and lazily drawled, "Mr. Krei is busy for the day. No visitors unless you have an appointment."

"Umm," Tadashi muttered, "Actually, we're here to see someone else."

"We?" The lady raised one eyebrow at the mention of another person.

Hiro raised his hand and waved to be seen over the desk. The lady had to stand and look over the desk to see the small child. Hiro smiled sheepishly, looking up with his large brown eyes. Strategically, he widened his eyes a little more, tilted his head down, looked up at the lady, then smiled wider, revealing the adorable gap between his front teeth. "May we _please_ see Ms. Ji Soo Kim?"

The lady swallowed nervously, unable to resist the adorable child in front of her. "I-I guess I can do something about it…" she muttered, going back to the computer.

"She's on the 8th floor, room 803. Once you're out of the elevator, walk down the hall. Her door's the second to last one. I'll inform her you two are on the way," the receptionist finally said.

Jackpot. "Thank you, nice lady," Hiro said innocently. Too easy.

She inwardly groaned at her soft heart, then glanced at the children before her unsurely. "Why do you want to meet her?"

"No reason," Tadashi said hurriedly. "She knew our parents, and we just wanted to meet her." He rushed Hiro to the elevator before the lady could ask any more questions.

"That was impressive, little brother," Tadashi mused, glancing at his brother in amazement.

Hiro shrugged. "Works every time."

Tadashi squinted at his brother suspiciously. "Who else have you tried it on?"

The child smiled innocently. "No one, _nii-chan_. Why would you say that?"

The older Hamada groaned, wondering how many other people his seven-year-old brother had conned with that ruse.

Finally, the elevator reached the 8th floor. A long hallway greeted them as the doors opened. The dark carpet seemed to cast shadows along the wall.

The brothers made their way to the office. The entire floor was still, not a soul in sight. Reaching the door the receptionist said the scientist was in, they looked at the sign that was pinned to the door. _Dr. Ji Soo Kim, Neurologist, Computer Engineer._

Opening the door quietly, the brothers peeked in, surprised to see a Korean woman sitting in an armchair, waiting for them. A tray of tea was set on the table in front of her and a plush sofa next to her armchair. When the door opened, her sharp eyes trained on the people that entered her office. "Well, there's no point in just standing there," she snapped. "Now come in before the tea gets cold."

* * *

><p>"Linda said I knew your parents?"<p>

Tadashi and Hiro sat awkwardly on the sofa. They had taken the tea from their host politely, but neither brother had taken a sip.

After entering the office, the Korean woman had sat there in silence, studying the brothers like test subjects. Her sharp eyes were scrutinizing, light gleaming off the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. A few streaks of gray patches were scattered through the dark hair that was tied back in a loose bun. The room was so quiet that the brothers actually jumped when she suddenly spoke up.

"Umm… yes ma'am. Atsuki and Hiruto Hamada?"

As soon as their parents' names were mentioned, the tension in the room dissipated. The woman's eyes widened in realization. "Ah, you're _their_ children! No wonder you looked familiar." She laughed and gestured to the tea and snacks. "They're not poisoned, you know," she said with a smirk.

Hesitantly, Hiro took a sip of the tea. Tadashi did the same thing; both brothers perked at the amazing taste. "This tastes great!" Hiro piped up, taking a small cookie to nibble on.

"Thank you…"

"Hiro," Tadashi filled in for her when she paused, not knowing either brother's name. "And I'm Tadashi."

"Your parents used to talk about you two all the time," the woman sighed, looking down at her cup of tea. "How are they? I haven't heard from them in years."

Tadashi swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat. Glancing at his brother, he was relieved to see that the child was too focused on the snacks to notice their conversation. "They died a few years ago," Tadashi said quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that…" A tear slid down the Korean woman's face. "They were great people. If it weren't for them…" She sniffed, quickly wiping away her tears.

"Actually, Ms. Kim," Tadashi cleared his throat. "We were wondering if you could help us fill in some small details."

"Please, call me Ji Soo," she replied kindly, smiling at the older Hamada. "What can I help you with?"

"Can you tell us a little about Project New Life?"

The tension returned in the room. The woman that had just been so calm suddenly stiffened. She sharply took in a breath, freezing as the name was announced. "How do you know that name," she hissed, glaring at the older Hamada. Tadashi tried his best to not flinch from her sharp glare.

"Our Aunt Cass died a few months ago, and she left us a USB with all this information about the 'Project' and all the people involved in it," he explained quickly, not wanting Hiro to hear. "We figured out a few things about it, but we were hoping you could tell us more about it."

"No," she replied immediately. "I refuse to bring this project back. Too many brilliant minds were abused…" A sad look came to her eyes as bad memories started to resurface.

Tadashi opened his mouth to get her to reconsider, but a small voice interrupted him before he could ask. "Excuse me…" Hiro said quietly. The sharp gaze snapped to the child that just spoke. One thin eyebrow rose.

"I'm the one who figured out what the project was," Hiro explained. "There were a lot of equations and stuff, but I figured them out, see?" He pulled out his notebook from his backpack and showed it to the older lady.

Incredulously, she took the notebook and skimmed through the pages. Tadashi held his breath as he watched her eyes widen. "But… this is… how is this… wha-" she sputtered as she looked at the solved equations, amazed as each question was correctly solved before her.

"I know that it's a plan for brain control and to hopefully unlock hidden potentials in the human mind and body," Hiro continued as the woman stared at the pages in disbelief. Tadashi looked at Hiro in surprise. His little brother never mentioned the second part. Hiro shrugged, then looked back to the bewildered woman, still looking at the notebook. At this point, she was carefully reading each step Hiro had taken to solve the equations.

Ji Soo looked up slowly from the notebook, staring at the child that had solved these problems. A whole team of people couldn't solve these equations, but a seven-year-old child had solved them in a mere few months. She sighed. "Your parents always told me you were smart, but I didn't think you would be _this_ smart."

"Thank you, miss," Hiro muttered, face turning red at the compliment.

"Then again," she continued. "I never expected us to actually meet, and I especially didn't expect us to meet from this 'Project'." She smiled sadly. Taking a sip of her tea, the room was filled with silence again. "Well, I can't make you two leave with nothing but tea and some snacks," she finally said with a sigh. "I advise you cancel any plan you may have made for today. This'll take a while."

* * *

><p>"Did you need something, <em>aneue*<em>?" Chiyeki sighed. She had better things to do than to babysit a childish drama queen.

"Isn't it alright for me to check up on my little sister?" Tomoe cooed.

"Since when have you cared about me?" Chiyeki snapped, folding her arms and glaring at the woman lounging in the armchair.

"Small details, the past is the past," Tomoe waved her hand, dismissing Chiyeki's statement. "Now, how was your day?"

"Nothing new," Chiyeki sighed, giving up on arguing back. Once something went into her sister's head, there was no turning back. "I followed the Hamada brothers around a bit. Left when you messaged me."

"Mhmm, and how were they?" Tomoe drawled lazily, examining her nails once again.

Chiyeki felt her temper flare. Not only did her "sister" call her up and screw with her day, but she also didn't give a crap about her. Honestly, why did she even bother? "They left an hour after they went to the lab, and I don't know what happened after that thanks to you."

"Do you know where they went?" Tomoe asked, uninterested in whatever Chiyeki had to say.

"They were headed to Kreitech," Chiyeki spit through her gritted teeth, "and I heard the older one say something about a Ji Soo Kim."

Tomoe froze. "Ji Soo?" Immediately, she shot up from her chair, panic in her eyes. Chiyeki jumped back in surprise. Tomoe was never panicked. She always had lackeys to take the shot for her.

"-eave."

"What?" Chiyeki heard Tomoe murmur, but she didn't catch the whole word.

Tomoe snapped her head up, glaring daggers at Chiyeki. "Leave!"

Chiyeki flinched, taken back by the edge of urgency in Tomoe's voice. She scrambled back towards the door, hearing Tomoe mumble into the phone as she left.

"It's me. They found out about Ji Soo."

* * *

><p>"Your parents were great people," Ji Soo started. "They were selfless beings that always put others before themselves.<p>

Tadashi nodded. Growing up, he always remembered his parents caring about him and Hiro before themselves. When Hiro had an asthma attack, their father had literally dropped everything and rushed him to the hospital. Hiro was fine after a quick check up, but on the rush to the hospital, their father had cut his arm on a sharp edge. It had bled profusely, even on the way to the hospital. Even after reaching the hospital, he refused to be treated until Hiro was looked at. Aunt Cass often told Tadashi that he had gotten that quality of his parents.

"Although it was one of their best qualities, it was also their greatest weakness," she continued. "They always tried to keep everyone together and safe."

"Safe?" Hiro blurted out without thinking. "Safe from what?"

"Project New Life was supposed to unlock the deepest part of the human mind," she explained. "The goal of the project was to… open up the human mind. Supposedly, it would increase human intellect and abilities, physical and mental. It was supposed to increase psychic abilities too, along with a goal for immortality. To create the 'perfect human'." Ji Soo spit the last two words out, disgusted with what it was supposed to do. "It was supposed to make people 'reborn', hence the name."

"Excuse me for asking," Tadashi said quietly, "but what's so bad about that? It sounds pretty cool."

"What's _wrong_ about it," Ji Soo snapped, "is that it's unnatural. Humans are meant to be what adaptation has made them to be. Trying to change that will only lead to chaos and insanity. Not to mention the amount of damage it could do to the human race."

Seeing the confused looks on the brothers' faces, Ji Soo sighed and explained, "The 'Project" itself was a chip that was to be attached to the back of a persons neck. It would send signals into the spinal chord and reach the brain stem. Once it has full access to the brain, it would unlock _everything_. After the chip did its duty, it would detach and disperse. That's when we knew everything was ready."

"8 years ago, we managed to make one successful chip, and we tested it on a chimp. A few days passed, but nothing new changed in the animal. We were ready to give up, but your parents insisted on waiting a little longer. Finally, after a week, the animal managed to communicate with us. As the days progressed, the animal was showing more and more signs of increased intelligence. A month later, it was able to talk. Two months in, it was able to lift tables with its mind and had an extreme spike in physical strength. Everything was going well and according to plan."

"But then, we tested it on a human."

"At first, everything was okay. Our test subject was young and was experiencing similar spikes like the chimp. Increased intelligence, psychic abilities, increased physical strength…"

"Half a year passed by when out test subject suddenly plummeted. Not only was everything that he gained dropping, but it also dropped lower than what it was before. It came to the point that he couldn't move, couldn't eat, couldn't do _anything_ for himself. A few month later, the chimp died. A few more months passed and our human subject died as well."

"The man we worked for was furious," she shuddered, closing her eyes. "He was enraged that the 'Project' wasn't going right. He found more scientists and more people to solve the issues. None of them could… and yet, Hiro solved them in a few hours." She threw a bemused glance at the younger Hamada, still amazed at his intelligence. The child ducked his head down, embarrassed.

"That's when I got thrown in," she sighed. "This man found out about me and forced me to work for him. He threatened my career, my friends, my family… I felt as though I had no other choice but to help him.

Meeting your parents was the best thing that happened to me in this cursed project. The man had us locked in the lab for days to come and would never let us leave." That explains why their parents were rarely home…

"They were patient with me, and they promised me freedom. They worked on a small side project that would get all of the people out of our prison. They created a portal that would release us and free us from the man that had us trapped. To keep up the work with the portal and the 'Project', they often spent countless nights up and working. They sacrificed their health to get us free, and for that I owe them the world."

Tadashi was stunned. He didn't know what to say. The very fact that he was unaware of the activities his parents had been doing throughout his life was astonishing. He felt betrayed, but he couldn't be mad at them. From what Ji Soo had told him, he knew they were trying to protect him and Hiro.

"How bad was it…" Hiro asked quietly. Part of Tadashi didn't want to know, but another part was curious as well.

Ji Soo closed her eyes again. "We were locked in a lab, deep underground," she replied with a shaky voice. "We were given one meal per day. 'More time for work', they said…"

The brothers sat in silence, horrified. "We had to work late in the night," she continued, "and wake early in the morning. We were lucky to get 5 hours of sleep every night. Many of the scientists ended up losing their minds. Some even died. But they didn't care… As long as they got what they wanted." A tear slid down her face as she recounted all those terrible years.

"Your parents were lucky. He let them leave every so often because of you two. While your mother was pregnant with Hiro, she was allowed more meals and longer sleeping breaks. It was the only thing that kept them going." She sighed, staring woefully at the younger Hamada. "She was always so happy, talking about the great life you two would have after we escaped. Even when you were too still and we feared you had died of malnutrition in the womb, she never lost hope. We had a few scares here and there, but look at you now." The Korean woman gave a shaky laugh, sniffing and wiping her eyes dry of tears.

Hiro was quiet, unsure what to say. Tadashi swallowed. "Thank you, Ji Soo-ssi," he said, remembering the honorific his father had used in the video. "Thank you for telling us your story."

"Thank _you_," she replied tearfully, "for listening." She turned to Hiro and placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled and said, "and thank you for being born."

* * *

><p>"They know," Tomoe whispered darkly. "They know about Ji Soo!"<p>

Her husband placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "My dear, what does it matter? She is just one scientist! Our plan is still on track!"

She snapped her head up and glared at the man before her. "_Idiot_!" she hissed. "What does it matter?! If they know about Ji Soo, then they'll find out about the rest! And if they have enough people, then they'll be able to stop our plans! How exactly is the project still 'on track'!?"

"Now, now, dear…" he stepped back, scared of his wife's sudden anger. "I'm sure they're still stumbling around, gathering information. There is no way that they've found all of the people that worked on this project."

"True," she growled, "but if they find enough, it'll still get in the way! Ugh!" Tomoe threw her hands up in frustration. "Send people to give a 'message' to all those involved in the Project from 10 years ago. Make it clear that if they give away _anything_, then it'll be the last thing they'll ever do!"

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry I can't be of any more help to you two," Ji Soo sighed. "However, if you have any questions or concerned, please feel free to come to me. I owe your parents that much at least."<p>

"Thank you," Tadashi said sincerely. "For everything you've told us." Respectfully, he bowed, nudging Hiro to do the same. The child looked slightly dazed from all the new information he had just acquired. He jumped at Tadashi's jump and hurriedly tipped his head down in a bow. After both brothers raised their heads, he ran forward and hugged the Korean woman's legs, much to both of the adult's surprise.

"Thank you for telling us about mommy and daddy," he murmured, grinning up to the bewildered woman.

Stunned, she could not help but soften at seeing the angelic face smiling at her. Who could resist that adorable tooth gap along with that cute face? She returned the smile and awkwardly pat him on the head. "If you ever want to hear more, my door is always open," she said with a laugh.

"Oh, before we go," Tadashi caught himself just as he was walking out of the office. "What's the name of the man that started the 'Project'?"

Ji Soo shuddered. "It wasn't him that started it. He was under _her_ thumb the whole time, lied to and led to believe he had full control."

"Her?"

"Yes." The Korean woman gave a grim smile. "Well, seeing as how I've already told you this much, it wouldn't hurt to tell you a little more I suppose. His name is Yoichibei Sayaki. He's a ruthless business man, but however vile that he is, he is nothing compared to his poison of a wife."

"Sayaki…" Tadashi murmured. Where had he heard that name from…

Hiro made the connection almost immediately. He gasped, then tugged on Tadashi's cardigan. He threw a terrified look at his older brother. "Dashi, it's fox lady!"

* * *

><p><strong>*super formal way of saying big sister (but you probably figure it out already LOL)<strong>

**Ohh, we got the big boss's name now! (That should be the last new bad guy I'm introducing, I swear...)**

**I'll be sure to update more soon, so just be patient a little longer!~**

**Comment, follow, favorite if you like what you're reading haha~**

**Here's the list, as promised (with surnames):**

**Koetsu Takishida: guy that shot Hiro (has a large scar that runs from top of right cheek to collar bone)**

**Chiyeki Hitomi: Tomoe's younger sister**

**Yoichibei Sayaki: big boss, in charge of funding Project New Life**

**Tomoe Sayaki: sadistic, bird killing, lunatic wife of big boss (she thought of Project New Life and had her husband make it for her cuz she's a spoiled little princess)**

**And an unnamed nurse lady~**

**I'll make an official directory when more details are revealed and just update that occasionally, but for now this is what's to know for bad guy OC's (the official glossary will include all the characters and more details about them)**


	23. Chapter 22: Thank You For Being Born

**Hi all! Back with another chapter~**

* * *

><p>Chapter 22: Thank You For Being Born<p>

"So you've heard of her…" Ji Soo sighed. "I was hoping she would keep her slimy hands to herself, but I guess not, that disgusting leech," she growled.

"She came to us at Aunt Cass's funeral," Tadashi quickly explained. "She wanted to know if Hiro was interested in working with her, but we declined her offer."

"Good," the Korean woman nodded in approval. "There was always something wrong with her, even as a child…"

"There was something off about her…" Tadashi agreed. "Like how she changed her mood so quickly when we met her a while ago."

"Yes, well, just stay away from that woman if you can. No good will come out of being with Tomoe Sayaki," Ji Soo shuddered.

"Again, thank you for telling us all these things, Ji Soo-ssi," Tadashi said again, tipping his head down politely again. "You must be busy. We will leave you be for now."

"Feel free to ask me anything if you need anymore answers," she called as the brothers walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Not a word was exchanged on the elevator down. The brothers walked out of the large building in silence. The ride home was silent as well (Tadashi decided that after everything he heard today, he's rather just skip a day and catch up tomorrow.) Opening the door of their apartment, Hiro immediately went to the couch, burying his face into a cushion as he mulled over everything Ji Soo had told them. After dropping his bag and locking the door, Tadashi joined his brother on the couch. Neither said a word.<p>

"So," Tadashi began, "that was… interesting."

Hiro didn't say anything. Tadashi continued speaking, trying to fill in the awkward silence. "At least we kinda know what Project New Life is about now," he rambled. "And why fox lady wants you to help her so bad."

"She said thank you…" Hiro finally said quietly.

"Hm?"

"She said… 'thank you for being born'…" Hiro looked stunned, as though he never imagined anyone would say that to him.

"Of course," Tadashi said immediately. "Why wouldn't anyone be happy that you were born?"

"Because I can't do anything except think," Hiro said bitterly. Tadashi was surprised by how dark his brother sounded. His usual light tone was filled with resentment.

"I mean," Hiro spat, " I'm seven and a half and I'm in middle school! _Middle school_! I should be in elementary school with everyone else my age, learning how to read a clock, or… or adding vertically. Heck, I should be figuring out how to find exact change!" He stood up and threw his hands up in frustration. Spinning around, he glared at Tadashi and gestured to himself. "But look at me! I'm figuring out equations and problems that even older people couldn't solve! And now there's some psychopathic woman who wants my brain, a trigger-happy jerk out there trying to kill us, again because of _me_, and an evil businessman who can break people just by threats alone, who wants _me_! All I bring is misfortune! Who would be happy for me to be around?" he finished miserably. His shoulders slumped as his anger burned out and tears filled his eyes, leaving him to wallow in self-loathing.

"Hiro," Tadashi said in shock. He gripped his younger brother's shoulders firmly, forcing the child to bring his tear filled eyes up to him. "Don't you _ever_ say things like that again." He crushed the younger Hamada into his chest, feeling tears drip into his shirt. While he comforted his ailing brother, he murmured, "Your intelligence isn't a curse, baby brother. It's a gift. And that's not the _only_ thing you can do." Tadashi looked at Hiro, who was still crying into his shirt and jokingly said, " I mean you have your looks, although they're not as amazing as mine."

"Nothing good comes out of my 'gift'," Hiro moaned against Tadashi's chest, tears falling faster. He was in near hysteria as he blubbered on. "Because of my stupid 'gift' I got picked on by other people! They told me it would be better to just drop dead and show off in the afterlife! I mean, you'd _think_ being smart was a good thing right?! And now I put everyone in danger because of my stupid brain! Why couldn't I just disappear?! It'd be better for everyone and-"

"Hiro, stop," Tadashi said sharply. Surprised, Hiro whimpered but stopped rambling, tears still streaming down his face. "First of all, if other people can't handle how talented you are, then they can go jump off a cliff," the older Hamada stated bluntly. Hiro gasped at how unnatural Tadashi sounded, but otherwise stayed quiet. "And second of all," Tadashi tapped his forehead lightly onto Hiro's. "If you disappeared, bonehead, then I would be sad. Then I would want to disappear, too."

Hiro gasped, the wailed, "No, no, no! Dashi can't be sad! Dashi can't disappear! _Nii-chan_ has to stay! Otherwise, _nii-chan _would be breaking his promise! He promised not to leave!" He quickly wrapped his little arms around Tadashi's neck, as though he were trying to keep him from vanishing.

"Well, that's how I feel if you keep saying _you_ want to disappear." To prove his point, Tadashi wrapped his arms around Hiro, nuzzling his face into the child's messy hair. "That's the deal, _otouto_. You disappear, I disappear. If we both disappeared, then other people would be sad, too. I mean, what would our friends do without us?"

Hiro was torn. He was fine with just having himself ebb away, but hearing Tadashi say that it would make people sad, he didn't know what to do. "I don't want them to be sad…" he hiccupped, burrowing into Tadashi's chest, arms gripped tightly around his neck.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that would we, buddy…" Tadashi murmured as Hiro's crying started to stop. Hiro shook his head furiously, head buried into Tadashi's shoulder.

"I sorry…" Hiro finally said after he calmed down.

"Don't be," Tadashi sighed, still holding the child tightly in his arms. _How long has he kept these feeling buried away?_ "I'll always be here for you, buddy. If you ever need _anything_, or if you ever want to just _talk_ to me about something, just tell me. You're not alone, Hiro. Like it or not, you're stuck with me for life."

The child let out a shaky laugh, wiping his eyes dry as he grinned sheepishly. "I'm fine with that," he giggled.

Tadashi laughed with him. "Just promise me two things."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll tell me whenever something is bothering you."

"…Okay…" Hiro replied hesitantly.

"When you're ready to talk about it," Tadashi suggested. Getting Hiro's nod, he then said, "and also, promise me you'll never talk about k-… disappearing again." When Hiro didn't reply immediately, Tadashi sighed and said, "I'll promise you that if you 'disappear,' I'll come find you."

Finally, a little reluctantly, Hiro nodded again. Tadashi stuck his pinky out. "Pinky swear."

Hiro did the same. The brother linked fingers, and the pact was set.

Tadashi smiled. He gave his brother another hug and planted a kiss on the child's head. Receiving the appropriate response (a cry of indignation and a swat on the arm), he was relieved that Hiro was back to his usual behavior.

A giant yawn ripped through the younger Hamada. He was mentally exhausted from such an emotional breakdown. "I'm gonna take a nap, Dashi," he mumbled, laying down across the couch, head resting on Tadashi's lap.

"Sweet dreams, bonehead," Tadashi whispered, lightly running his fingers through his brother's chaotic hair. A few minutes later, Hiro's breathing turned into soft snores.

Tadashi sighed, deflated from everything Hiro had told him. Since when… When had Hiro originally decided that he didn't deserve to live? The kid wasn't even eight yet! Children shouldn't have to worry about such depressing things. But, reconsidering everything he heard from his brother, he tried to sort out his emotions. Anger at the bullies from school, pity for how lost his brother was feeling, anguish for his brother's suicidal thoughts, fear at what would possibly come from digging into their parent's past, and pain for not being able to do anything but listen.

* * *

><p>Ji Soo hesitated as she sat in front of her computer. She stared at the filing cabinet next to her. Locked away in the drawers were the only other remaining pieces for Project New Life. The Hamada's had taken the most important pieces, but they had entrusted her with the key. Sure, once the chip was created it could change the human mind, but without the key, it wouldn't activate. She just had to make sure the Sayaki's could never reach it.<p>

She sighed and picked up her phone. "Linda" she called. A few minutes later, the receptionist walked into her office. Ji Soo smiled and opened up the cabinet. The box containing the key lay at the bottom, waiting for her.

Swallowing, she reached into the drawer and pulled out the box. The Korean woman handed it to Linda and wrote down a set of instructions for her to follow. Linda bowed, then walked out of the room with the box in hand.

As soon as the other woman left, Ji Soo took out a notepad and scribbled something down. Sudden fear gripped her when she realized that, as much as she didn't want to admit it, Project New Life was back.

* * *

><p>"How was your nap, baby bro?" Tadashi laughed as Hiro groaned in his lap. While the child slept, Tadashi decided to get some more work done and pulled out his laptop. Using one hand to pat his baby brother's shoulder, he used his other hand to start researching on more of the people on the profile list. He had gotten past almost a third of the list when Hiro stirred.<p>

"Mmm… head hurts…" Hiro rasped. "But I feel like something heavy just got lifted off my chest."

Tadashi beamed. "Good. You should talk more about your feelings, bro."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah…" he wheezed, voice sounding scratchier than usual. "What time is it?"

The older Hamada's smile immediately fell. A worried frown took its place as he noticed his brother start massaging his chest. "About 4:30… Something wrong?"

"Chest hurts a little…" Hiro coughed as he attempted to sit up. Tadashi helped him get into a comfortable position before going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "Maybe you should rest tomorrow," Tadashi sighed as Hiro gulped down the water. "The stress from keeping all that hidden and from all the stuff that's been happening recently must've done a number on your body."

"I'm fine, Dashi," Hiro muttered. A small cough escaped his mouth and he tried to wave it off by pretending to clear his throat. Tadashi didn't buy it. Pressing his hand on Hiro's forehead, he tsked when he felt the child's burning hot skin.

"Fever," Tadashi concluded. "Go to bed, little brother. Looks like somebody got sick from worrying too much."

"I'm _not_ sick," Hiro rasped unconvincingly.

Raising an eyebrow incredulously, Tadashi started making a list. "Let's see… burning skin, check." He looked at the child again and noticed him shivering ever so slightly. "Feeling cold, check." He then held up two fingers and asked, "How many fingers am I holding?"

Hiro squinted, then guessed, "Four?"

Chuckling, Tadashi said, "dizziness and confusion, check. Do you need me to continue?"

"No thanks…" Hiro muttered, coughing again. He didn't bother trying to hide it this time.

"Come on," Tadashi chuckled at the grumbling child. "Let's get you in bed. I'll get you some medicine and you'll be up and around in no time."

* * *

><p>Ji Soo stretched her arms out above her head, feeling her shoulders loosen up after a long day at work. Sighing contently, she started organizing her papers, prepared to go home.<p>

"It's been a while, Ji Soo… give or take about 6 years?"

She froze. She would recognize that voice anywhere. Rigidly, she turned and glared at the figure leaning nonchalantly on the doorframe. "Koetsu," she replied coolly. "What brings you here?"

The man shrugged. "A little birdy told me that you're letting out a bit too much secrets. And my boss won't have that, ya know."

"Well, your _boss_," she hissed, "can drive off a ledge. I stopped working for him when I left all those years ago. In fact…" She quickly reached into her purse and pulled out a gun. Squinting suspiciously at the man, she asked, "How _did_ you find me?"

Koetsu chuckled, amused that she actually considered fighting back. "Wow, time really changes people, huh… I remember when you used to cower behind Hamada, like a dog," he spat, walking straight up to the woman. Startled, she felt her resolve falter as he stood right in front of her weapon. "Go on," he cooed. "Shoot. If you have enough in you to accept the blood on your hands."

As this distance, she could easily pull the trigger and kill the man. There was no way she could miss. Yet… she couldn't. Her arms wouldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the spot and she felt as cold as ice.

Laughing menacingly, he sneered when he saw her hand shake. "You can't do it," he sighed. "Then again, it's no surprise… you never could do it, and you'll never be able to."

She felt numb. Every part of her body screamed at her to move, but she couldn't. Even as she saw a long line of masked men march into her office, trampling her potted plants, knock over her precious furniture and make a chaotic mess in the room. Even when her felt the gun get yanked out of her grip. Even when rough hands pin her arms behind her back, press her down to knees and push her head again the table. She felt nothing. She said nothing. All she could do was stare and watch history repeat itself, and wonder, why she couldn't just pull the damn trigger.

"Our little lady doesn't want you telling the boys more than they already know," Koetsu said as he kicked over her cabinet. She winced when she heard the loud crashing noise. Papers flew everywhere, defiled with shoeprints as the men bashed her things around. "Don't worry," he laughed. "You're not the only one getting this treatment."

"How," she heard herself rasp. "How did you find us?"

"My dear," he cackled. Jerking her head up roughly by the chin, he sneered in her face, "you were never gone to begin with."

* * *

><p>"Hmm… 103.7˚ F… what've you been doing to get yourself this sick…" Tadashi muttered, looking at the thermometer, then at Hiro worriedly.<p>

The child's health had rapidly declined in the 2 hours that had passed since he first woke up. At first, he had gone back to sleep, only to wake up a few minutes later, coughing and gasping. Sweat drenched his face and soaked through his pajamas. His cheeks were flushed and his hair clung to his damp skin. Each breath he took in was short and labored. He sounded and looked like he had run a mile during a hot summer day.

"D-d-dashi," the sick child moaned as he tried to speak through his chattering teeth. "C-cold…"

"If I pile any more blankets on you, you'll suffocate to death," Tadashi sighed as he draped yet another quilt over the shivering child. If Hiro hadn't been sick, then it would've been a really funny site to see: An eight year old buried under at least 6 layers of blankets and quilts. "Are you thirsty?"

Hiro curled in on himself, trying to gather as much warmth as his shivering body could manage. "Not really…" he croaked. "j-just cold…"

"Here," Tadashi poured him another cup of water. "Finish this glass while I get another blanket."

Grabbing the blankets off of his own bed, Tadashi looked back to see Hiro sitting up and trying to finish the cup. However, as soon as he swallowed, he choked and coughed, unable to get the water past his throbbing throat.

"I'll have the gang bring over Baymax," Tadashi decided as he rubbed Hiro's back. "Maybe he can find out what's wrong…"

Hiro didn't say anything. He massaged his chest, taking in slow breaths. Suddenly, he fell into a coughing fit. Panic gripped his mind as each cough ripped away more and more precious breaths of air. He couldn't breath. White spots danced in front of his eyes. He struggled to focus on Tadashi.

"Da-da-dashi," he managed to wheeze out, grasping at Tadashi's clothes. Panic shined in the older Hamada's eyes. Something was wrong. "Can't bre-" Another coughing fit shook his body. It was getting harder to breath. His lungs felt heavy, complaining for the lack of oxygen. Which each breath he managed to take in, his throat felt like it was closing. The muscles on his neck tightened as he fought to regain control of his airway. He coughed until his throat felt raw, and it hurt to force down each breath.

Asthma attacks are a bitch.

Immediately, Tadashi dove for his bag. He kept a spare inhaler there just in case they were away from home and Hiro had an attack. Shoving the inhaler into Hiro's mouth, he pressed down to begin the flow of medication.

Feeling the soothing relief of the medicine, Hiro relaxed and took a deep breath in. He slumped against Tadashi's body, exhausted from that sudden attack.

"Slow breaths, little brother," Tadashi murmured as he took the inhaler out from between Hiro's lips. "Just focus on getting a deep breath in."

The child took in small, ragged breaths. Finally, after a few tense minutes, Hiro got control of his breathing, and sighed in relief. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.

"Anytime," Tadashi rubbed reassuring circles on his brother's back. "How you feeling? Should we go back to the hospital?"

"No," Hiro replied directly. After spending so much time there, the child had come to hate hospitals. He was fine with just having Baymax and Tadashi take care of him.

"I'll go make you some soup," Tadashi offered. "You get some rest. We'll figure out what's wrong with you when Baymax gets here."

Face still flushed with fever, Hiro nodded weakly and snuggled deeper into the blankets. "I don't know if I'll be able to eat any," he muttered into the fabric.

Tadashi chuckled, patting the lump that was his baby brother. "Just try. Who knows? Maybe you'll feel better in a bit…"

"I guess," Hiro coughed. "I'm gonna take another nap," he yawned. "My head still kinda hurts…"

"I'll go call Honey Lemon now," Tadashi said. "Ask her to bring over Baymax when she has time tomorrow."

"Mhmm…" Hiro hummed sleepily. "Good night..."

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Tadashi laughed quietly, kissing the mess of hair that stuck out from under the blankets. "And thank you for being born."

* * *

><p><strong>It's a bit depressing, yeah, but they stress from everything isn't just gonna disappear...<strong>

**Just hitting a few points here and there that I mentioned in earlier chapter, but kinda forgot to bring back up haha...**

**Anyways, leave a review or suggestions for whatever else you think should happen! XOXO**


	24. Chapter 23: Medicine

Chapter 23: Medicine

"Your temperature is at 103.4˚ F, and your corticoliberin, adrenocorticotropic, cortisol, norepinephrine, serotonin, and neuropeptide Y hormones are surprisingly high. Diagnoses: Fever from stress."

"Thought so," Tadashi sighed. He lightly knocked against Hiro's head and laughed, "This is what happens when you think too much, bonehead."

"Shut up…" Hiro coughed, burrowing deeper into the blankets. The brother's friends had stopped by earlier, bringing Baymax's case with them. They had all been worried over the child's illness, but decided it would be better to not bother him. The last thing he needed was even more stress. They did, however, ask Tadashi to tell Hiro to feel better for them.

"So, you feeling hungry at all yet?" Tadashi asked. Tadashi had attempted to coax his little brother to drink some of the soup he had made earlier, but after one spoonful, the child gagged and choked, unable to take in the food.

Hiro shook his head, then muttered, "Just tired…"

"Here, just take your medicine. Then you can sleep," Tadashi replied. Hiro didn't even complain as he swallowed the liquid, which only worried Tadashi more. Hiro _never_ took medicine without some kind of fight or complaint.

"Maybe we should go see a doctor," Tadashi fretted. "Or at least go to the hospital."

"No!" Hiro rasped, trying to speak loudly but ended up going into a bout of coughing. It ended up sounding like a quiet choke more than a yell of protest. "No hospitals!"

"Okay, okay!" Tadashi exclaimed in exasperation. "Calm down, little bro, don't raise your fever even more."

"I have scanned Hiro again," Baymax stated suddenly. "He is currently at 103.6˚ F."

"See," Tadashi sighed. "Just… get some rest… We'll see how you're doing tomorrow, alright?"

Hiro nodded weakly, completely ready to go back to sleep. Tadashi lightly patted his shoulder reassuringly, watching as his brother drifted off to sleep.

Sighing, Tadashi stood up and left the room, lightly closing the door behind him. Baymax waddled after his creator, blinking as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Tadashi," Baymax said as the older Hamada started scrubbing the pans in the sink. "I am slightly concerned about Hiro. His fever does not show any sign of falling, and at his age, I believe it will be hard for him to recover completely. Immediate hospital care is strongly recommended."

"Yeah, I know, buddy," Tadashi sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "But Hiro won't do it. Even if he's too sick to complain against medicine, there's no way I can get him to a hospital without him throwing a hissy fit. And I'm pretty sure he'll get worse if he struggles…"

"Then I recommend bed rest," Baymax said. "Keep him hydrated, but do not try to force him to eat. Make sure he does not move around too much for a few days, and if his fever still does not break, take him to a hospital immediately."

"I'll do that," Tadashi responded, smiling slightly. A giant yawn broke his train of thought. He glanced at the clock. Damn. 2:48. Pm. He had been up for almost a whole day taking care of Hiro. "I'm gonna take a quick nap," Tadashi yawned again, stretching out on the couch. "Can you watch Hiro for me? Wake me up if anything changes."

Baymax blinked, then nodded. He picked Mochi up and promptly walked back into the sick child's room with a very mad cat in his arms.

Tadashi lay across the couch, resting his head against a pillow. His eyes slid shut, and he was asleep within seconds.

* * *

><p>Hot. Burning hot. Too hot for his comfort. Hiro whimpered, trying to move away from the heat. No matter how he moved, everything was too hot. He felt like flames were bursting all around him. And yet, he still felt a small chill travel down his spine. He tried running, to escape the burning heat and the feeling of dread that filled his mind. The flames laughed as he ran, nipping at his arms and legs, taunting him to run faster and try to hide. Suddenly, he tripped and fell. Right into water.<p>

As soon as he hit the water, he was thrown back into a familiar surrounding. He was back at the park, a picnic set for a family. A basket of food was placed on a checkered sheet, set and ready for a family of four.

However, something was wrong. Nothing was touched. Not a single wrinkle was present on the sheet, and Hiro couldn't see anyone else around him. He was alone. Completely, utterly alone.

Panic clouded his mind. "Dashi?" he cried out, hoping for a reply. Silence. Panicking even more, Hiro ran around the familiar hill, terrified when he saw nobody around him. Not a single person was there. No joggers, no pet walkers, nobody. He was completely alone.

Scared, he curled up and started crying. Tears slid down his face and splatted against the sheet.

"Why are you crying?" a voice spoke. Surprised, Hiro turned and looked for the speaker. As soon as he saw her, he stiffened. More fear froze him in place.

It was her. The woman that tried to strangle him. She had on a simple white dress, a bit tattered at the ends. Her long hair covered her face, making it impossible for him to make out any distinct facial features. The only thing he would see was her mouth, which was curled up into a disturbingly sweet mile. Whimpering, he cowered on the ground, trying to disappear. "N-nothing… please go away."

That wasn't the right thing to say. Her smiled fell, curling into a sneer. "What's the matter? Can't accept being abandoned?" she hissed menacingly.

"I wasn't abandoned!" Hiro protested. "Everyone's just… gone to get something! Just watch, they'll be back in no time!"

She laughed, shrill and spiteful. "Face it kid!" she cackled in cruel glee. "They couldn't stand you and left you here by yourself! No one's gonna come back looking for you! I mean, why would they?!"

"No!" Hiro screamed, clamping his hands to his ears and shaking his head furiously. "They'll be back! Dashi promised!"

She stared at him, half amused and half amazed. "It would be easier for you to just leave, wouldn't it? I could help you there."

Before he could protest, she leapt at him, hands reaching for his neck and an evil grin settled on her lips.

"NO!" Hiro screamed, dodging and running back down the hill. Her annoyed screams followed him as he hid behind a tree. He could hear her walking closer, singing his name as she crept closer. Her voice echoed in his head. _It would be easier for you to just leave…_

He heard her giggled next to his ear as she whispered, "Found you."

* * *

><p>Hiro bolted up, struggling against the blankets piled over his body. Sweat clung on to his body, both from the fever and his terrifying nightmare. Still struggling with the many blankets, he squirmed, trying to escape his fabric prison.<p>

A soft hand patted his head. "Hiro, you must stop moving. I will help you get up."

Immediately, Hiro stopped, too tired to continue fighting. Baymax carefully removed each layer of blanket as Hiro focused on getting a breath through his aching throat. As soon as his body was free, Hiro scrambled up and blindly reached for Baymax's arms. The robot held his arms out, helping the child sit up. "How are you feeling? Your temperature seems to have decreased just slightly, but bed rest is still strongly recommended."

"Dashi…" Hiro forced through his trembling lips. "Where's Dashi?!" He started panicking, trying to climb over Baymax's inflated vinyl arms.

"Hiro, please calm down," the healthcare companion said, easily grabbing the struggling child and holding him in place. "I will take you to Tadashi now."

* * *

><p>"Tadashi. Although this may be detrimental to your health, please wake up."<p>

"Wha?" Tadashi mumbled, fighting to open his eyes. What he saw when he opened his eyes was both comical and confusing. Hiro was held in Baymax's arms like a lost kitten, gripped under the arms and held up carefully. As soon as Hiro saw Tadashi was fully awake, he started crying and reached his arms out, desperate for his older brother to hold him.

Immediately, Tadashi bolted up and stretched out for Hiro, pulling the child close and whispering reassuring words as he sobbed uncontrollably into Tadashi's shirt. It took a while for him to calm down, but almost immediately after he stopped crying, Hiro fell back asleep, tear streaks still apparent on his flushed face.

"Baymax?" Tadashi asked quietly, cradling Hiro carefully in his arms. "What happened?"

"It appears that Hiro had a nightmare," Baymax stated calmly. "His temperature has decreased slightly. However, it is still safer if he has plenty of rest."

"Noted," Tadashi muttered, pressing his head against Hiro's burning forehead. It still felt warmer than healthy, but he did notice the temperature had indeed dropped slightly. However, a fine sheen of sweat still coated his skin, and a slight shiver ran through his small body. "I'll gather up the gang tomorrow," Tadashi decided. "If Hiro's gonna have to be cooped up in bed for a while, the least we can do is try to keep him entertained."

* * *

><p>She saw everything. From the kid's asthma attack to his nightmare. Perched on the ledge opposite of the Hamada's home, she watched carefully at every move the brothers did. A pang of sympathy shot through her as she watched the child suffer in his sleep, restless and uncomfortable from the fever. However, it was gone as soon as it arose, replaced instead with satisfaction.<p>

_Aneue _did_ say to bring her back any new information I had on these two_, Chiyeki thought as she watched the inflated robot carry the sick child over to the sleeping man on the couch. _I should tell her the brat is sick._

Carefully, she pulled herself up from the ground and bounded across the rooftops, making her way back to her sister's location.

* * *

><p>Ji Soo huddled into a small ball in the corner of her cell. A chain was attached to one of her arms, giving her enough room to move, but still constraining her movement. Not that it mattered. The very fact that she was back in this cursed place froze her up with fear.<p>

An echoing boom echoed through the darkness as a door was thrown opening. She tried her best to not flinch, but failed miserably. A disgustingly familiar voice laughed and said, "My, my, Ji Soo… I never remembered you to be such a cowardly woman."

The Korean woman glared at the giant man before her. "Go drive off a cliff," she hissed. The man was huge, a large frame, set with a square jaw. His hair was almost all gray, with a few streaks of black and white mixed in. A cigar was clamped in his mouth, putrid smoke billowing towards her corner. His suit (probably Italian, that rich self-centered bastard…) was spotless, not a wrinkle or dust in sight. His face, although wrinkled with age, was clean-shaven, making him looking like a dirty businessman. The smirk that seemed to be permanently set in his face didn't help.

She spotted the small man in his shadows, looking down and desperately avoiding her gaze. "Inoue…" she said, more shocked than disgusted. "Why are you here?"

"Didn't you know?" Yoichibei laughed. "He has nowhere left to go! After I destroyed his useless excuse of a family, he has nobody to turn to. I did him a favor by taking him in. And as for driving off a cliff, well…" the man suddenly chuckled, taking a deep breath from his cigar. "The Hamada's have already done that for me."

The little bit of color in Ji Soo's face drained at the mention of her friends. "I swear, if you so much as _breathe_ on the boys, I'll-"

"You'll what," he scoffed. "_Talk_ me to death? 'Cause that's the only thing you can do in your position as of now."

She hated it. She couldn't do anything, being trapped and all. It made her want to throw something, and even that wasn't possible. She had nothing to throw.

"Ohh, don't feel too bad," he cooed, mistaking her silence for worry over frustration. "They'll be joining you soon enough. Well… after I'm done with them, anyways."

A string of Korean curses followed him as he walked out of the room, cackling at his success.

* * *

><p>"How're you feeling, Hiro?" Honey Lemon whispered. It was later in the evening and the brothers' friends had all agreed to come meet up and check in on the sick child.<p>

"Fine," he rasped feebly. Hearing how unpersuasive he sounded, he sighed and said, "My throat hurts… and I'm thirsty."

"Well, we'll get you something warm to drink, alright?" she cooed. "Why don't you rest for now…"

"Okay…" he murmured, snuggling his face into Tadashi's arm. Since he had his nightmare, Hiro refused to leave Tadashi's side. He was currently wrapped up under a blanket in bed, but Tadashi was resting right next to him. The older Hamada's arm was occupied with the tired child. He used his other hand to lightly pat Hiro's head, keeping him calm and relaxed.

She giggled, snapped a quick picture, then walked out of the room. A few minutes later, Gogo walked back in with a steaming cup. "Here you go, kid," she said as she sat on the other side of Hiro. "Warm water. Drink up."

"Thank you," Hiro whispered hoarsely. She noticed the tremble that still travelled through the child's body. Not wanting him to spill the drink over himself, she carefully held the cup to his lips. He glanced at her gratefully as he slowly sipped the warm water.

"Go to sleep, kid," Gogo said, patting him lightly on head. "We're gonna head out, Tadashi. Let you guys get some shut-eye."

"Thanks, Gogo," Tadashi said, sincerity deep in his voice. "Thank you all for everything."

She smacked him lightly on his unoccupied arm. "I said this before, Hamada," she huffed. "We're family. And nothing comes before family." With that, she turned and left, lightly closing the door behind her.

Tadashi chuckled. "What a strange family…"

"Mhmm…" Hiro mumbled in partial agreement. He felt like a fog was settling over his mind, blurring everything. Burying his face deeper into Tadashi's side, he sighed and muttered, "I'm gonna take another nap…"

Tadashi snorted. In his little brother's exhaustion, it sounded more like, "'m gon' take annap."

"You do that, _otouto_. I'll go make some food for-"

"No!" Hiro suddenly sat up, gripping on to Tadashi's shirt. "Don't leave me, _nii-chan_, please!" Tears filled his eyes again and he started panicking, all exhaustion forgotten.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" Tadashi was shocked. Why was Hiro so scared of him leaving for even a second? "Does this have to do with your dream?" he asked quietly.

Hiro hesitated, then nodded. "I was alone…" he coughed. "No one was with me, and the scary lady tried to kill me again… She said no one would come look for me, and that it would be easier to… to-"

"Shh… it's okay…" Tadashi shushed the panicking child, trying to calm him down. He placed a kiss on his burning forehead, nuzzling his messy hair reassuringly. Hiro cried quietly, not even complaining about being fawned over. They sat on the bed for a while, Hiro crying and Tadashi murmuring comforting whispers into his brother's ear. Finally, a few minutes later, Hiro fell asleep, completely exhausted from his sickness and the nightmare.

Tadashi was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. His brother was suffering, and he didn't know what he could do to help. It was frustrating, but all he could do as of now was to keep him happy and be there if he felt like talking.

Sighing, he tucked Hiro under the blanket. Even as he slept, Hiro didn't let go of Tadashi. He was holding the older Hamada's arm like a teddy bear. Laughing lightly, Tadashi didn't know what else he could do with his baby brother latched on to his arm. Lying down next to him, Tadashi let out a deep breath. Hiro snuggled in closer to Tadashi, happy to feel his brother's warmth. Tadashi kissed his brother's head again, then said, "I'll never leave you, bonehead… I'll always be by your side."

In his sleep, Hiro's lips twitched up into a small smile.

* * *

><p>"<em>Aneue<em>, I'm back," Chiyeki sighed.

Tomoe glanced over her shoulder, boredom clear on her beautiful face. "Oh, it's just you, Chiyeki," she sighed. "Hurry up, I'm about to go take a bath." To make her point clear, she walked towards the large bathroom. Steam rolled out from the waiting bath, as well as the scent of bath soap and perfume.

Biting down the anger that rose up her throat, Chiyeki swallowed and reported, "The younger one is sick. The older one is taking care of him, but from what I could make out, his fever isn't going down. Just thought you'd like to know." With a quick huff, she turned and marched out of the room.

Tomoe froze in thought. Allowing her bathrobe to fall off her slim figure, she slipped into the warm water, sighing in content. Reaching for her phone, she chuckled and read through her messages. Koetsu had just messaged her a report, stating the same thing. Fever. 103.6˚ F. Taking care of. Possibility of having to visit a hospital soon. _Sick, huh…_ she wondered._ I could use this to my advantage…_

* * *

><p><strong>Haha I've been having a bit too much fun drawing recently x)<strong>

**Also, for those who were wondering, yes I did plan for this story to go by a little slow. My writing style is more for detailed and slow now, so I can avoid less confusion later. Sorry if this is a little troublesome for those that like fast paced stories, but that's just my style~**

**Thank you to all the people that have been supporting this story! I'm still kinda in shock that I have over 200 followers O^O**

**Leave a review for what you think and suggest, and I'll take each thought into consideration~**


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